The Storm
by Mediafan
Summary: Have you ever known that a storm was coming? Have you ever seen the dark clouds forming and felt the wind changing? Have you ever known that something terrible was going to happen? FMA medieval AU short story. Edwin, of course.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, Mediafan here.**

 **You were probably hoping for the next chapter of Kingdom. Don't worry, that will come out soon, I can promise that. But as of now Kingdom will be on a temporary hiatus. I've recently been doing some rethinking of how I want the story to continue. As a result I've now come up with a different ending and direction for Kingdom. This new ending, I think, will be better then the one that I had originally planned. To be clear I have no intention of abandoning Kingdom, I am just** **replanning how the story will turn out.**

 **This is the first part of a FMA AU short story for you all to enjoy while you wait. The idea for this fic came to me after I watched the anime Berserk (if you haven't watched it, I'd highly recommend you do.) I considered turning it into a multi chaptered story, but I already have so many stories planned and Kingdom to finish. So for now this story will remain three chapters.**

 **Warning, this story contains sexual content, violence, as well as the threat of sexual assault. If any of that bothers you, be cautious.**

 **OoO**

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 **OoO**

In the land of Amestris, there stood a cottage. Located outside the village of Resembool, this was where two young boys were about to attempt the impossible.

"No brother, you didn't do it right." A youth of nine with golden eyes and hair shook his head. "The edges need to be sharper."

"I'm telling you, Al. It's fine." Ten year old Edward Elric sighed as he finished drawing the array. "It's just like in the book."

"Are you sure?" Alphonse leaned over his older brother's shoulder to see for himself. "I'm not so sure."

"Al." Ed pleaded. "Please trust me. I know what I'm doing."

Al patted Ed on the shoulder. "Oh I do. It's just…I'm nervous."

Edward put down the chalk and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry Al." He pulled his little brother into a hug. "We can do this. We're gonna see her again!"

"I hope so." Al wiped a stray tear from his face. "I-I just…"

Ed pulled back and ruffled his brother's hair. "Hey, I understand Al. You don't think I'm nervous too?" He asked rhetorically.

Their cottage wasn't too large, nor was it too small. Clearing the main floor gave them enough room for what they were about to attempt. Drawn in pale white chalk across the floor was a large array. A magical array to be exact. The brothers had spent the last two years practicing and learning the magical arts. A passing sorceress names Izumi from the city of Dublin had taught them almost everything she knew. Her methods had been questionable, but in the end they were effective.

Now the brothers were ready. Ready to try and bring their mother back to life.

"Should we cover the windows?" Al asked as he peered out into the night. It was raining lightly and there were storm clouds in the distance. But it would be a while until they arrived.

"Why?" Ed asked as he placed a small wooden box at the center of the array.

Al sighed. "Once we begin the whole house is going to light up. Winry and Granny might see it."

"Hmm." Ed hummed as he thought. "It would be bad if we start and then halfway through the spell Granny comes barging in."

Al laughed as he pulled the curtains to cover the windows. "We'd sure have some explaining to do."

"Yeah." Ed murmured as he gazed at the small wooden box in front of him. It was like a chest, only much smaller. "But it'll be worth it, just to see her smile again."

Al smiled and walked over to his older brother. The box was in place, the array had been set. It was time. Both brothers crouched down getting on their hands and knees.

"Ready?" Edward asked.

Al nodded in response. "Let's do this."

Both Elrics clapped their hands together and slammed them onto the ground. For a second there was nothing, then the array lit up. A bright, blue light shot from the drawings. Ed and Al didn't falter at the outpouring of magical energy. Instead they closed their eyes and each began chanting. Wind began to whip and tug at their clothes, a wind that was coming from the light.

Unknown to the two brothers, the swirling air blew away the curtains that Alphonse had put up. Not far away was another house, this one larger than the Elric's. On the top floor of that house was the bedroom of a little girl. Although fast asleep, she was stirred by a light shining in from her window. Frowning, the little girl got out of bed and made her way over to inspect it. Standing up on the tips of her toes, she could see that the lights were coming from the nearby house of her friends the Elric brothers. The little girl stared in wonderment as the blue lights only got brighter.

Suddenly the blue lights turned red.

Back inside the house, Edward and Alphonse's eyes widened in horror. The light emanating from the array had changed color, bathing the cottage in a dark crimson red. A swirling mass of energy was rising out of the array.

Edward's jaw dropped and his breath caught in his throat.

"Br-brother?" Al gasped sounding scared.

'Something is wrong.' Ed thought. 'Something went wrong!'

 **OoO**

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 **OoO**

 **Nine Years Later**

Have you ever known that a storm was coming? Have you ever seen the dark clouds forming and felt the wind changing? Have you ever known that something terrible was going to happen?

Winry hated storms; always had and probably always would. When she was a child the deafening thunder and explosive lightning had prevented her from sleeping on multiple occasions. The area where she lived was often prone to occasional flooding when the river got too high. So yeah, Winry didn't like storms; that was a fact that she had decided upon long ago.

'Shit.' Winry thought as she watched the dark grey clouds unfurl over the countryside; almost like a wave crashing in slow motion. The wind picked up, causing the skirt of her wool dress to flap annoyingly against her legs. It sent chills through her rather thin frame, making Winry curse herself for not wearing a cloak.

'Well, there goes our plans for today.' Winry sighed and pulled her shawl tight around her shoulders. After shaking her head in annoyance, she then turned around to gaze at the house behind her.

It was a modestly built structure; the walls made of carved stone and strong wood. The roof had been constructed of old wooden tiles that had definitely seen better days. No doubt there were going to be plenty of leaks once this storm hit. The house had two sections to it; one being a living area and the other containing the smithy. The latter had previously been a small barn that was attached to the main house. However, it had been converted into a smithy several generations back by her family. It had a large sliding door leading to a furnace, an anvil, and various tools which Winry had acquired over the years. The actual house was larger than most of the homes in the nearby town of Resembool. Winry's ancestors had done well for themselves with this forge. In front of the home was a horse drawn carriage where a young man was lifting boxes onto it.

"Pitt!" Winry shouted to him, trying to be heard over the wind. Seconds passed yet Pitt gave no indication that he'd heard her. Winry sighed and started to run down the hill where she'd been standing. The coarse boots she wore irritated the soles of Winry's already dry feet, but she was used to it. Comfort wasn't readily available these days. Not that it ever was.

"Pitt!" Winry called again as she reached the bottom of the hill. "Forget it. Put it all back."

"What?" He turned with a confused look on his face, a heavy box of tools in his hands.

"There's a storm on the way, look. We'll have to make the trip sometime else." Winry sighed and pointed behind her at the approaching black clouds.

Pitt's eyes followed her hand and widened when he saw the clouds. He then glanced around him, seemingly unsure of what to do with the box. Winry simply sighed and took the container from him. She may have known Pitt since they were children and though he was very helpful. He was well…he was certainly not the smartest tool in the shed.

Muscles straining, Winry carried the box and placed it down near the entrance of the smithy. Standing up, she wiped her hands on her dress before turning back to Pitt. "I need to make sure that the house is secure. Can you please move all of the boxes back into the smithy?"

"Sure thing Winry." Pitt said before immediately getting to work. "When I'm done with that I'll bring the carriage back to town."

"Thanks Pitt." Winry's lips turned into a small smile. This smile, much like the idea of comfort, was also a rare occurrence these days. Pitt wasn't very smart; but he made up for it by being one of the kindest, most hard working souls that Winry knew. He would make an excellent husband for a lucky lady one day. With that last thought, Winry turned and entered the house.

The front door led into the kitchen which took up most of the living quarter's first floor. In it was a large table and counter for chopping. A strong door led to the pantry which stored the food and the utensils. The fireplace next to the counter provided both warmth and a means to cook meals. Winry noticed with annoyance that the floor was once again very dusty. It'd been awhile since she'd done any cleaning.

'Maybe I can sweep it up before the storm gets here.' Winry thought as she began closing the shutters. Once they were shut and locked, Winry moved to the small living room. After securing that space, she did the same on the second floor. Winry closed and locked every window in every room; finishing with her own bedroom. Once Winry had completed that task, she pulled her shawl off and chucked it onto the bed.

'Won't be needing that today.' Winry mused as she lamented the loss of the trip. 'We'll see how long this storm lasts then try again. I hope Dominic understands.'

Dominic LeCoultre was another blacksmith and a very old, dear friend. He and Winry's grandmother had been apprentices together so Winry had met him many times over the years. After taking over the family smithy, Winry often found herself doing business with him. Several days prior, Dominic had sent a message saying that his supplies had started to run low due to recent bandit raids. Winry had been in the process of delivering him a manageable number of supplies from her own smithy when this sudden storm had arrived.

Winry then reached down and pulled her dress up around her hips. There, strapped to her inner right thigh, was 6 inch dagger made of fine steel. It was expertly crafted, sharp, and light to hold. A dagger was made by her very own hand. The thigh holster had been a gift from a dear friend.

'Guess I won't be needing you today either.' Winry mused as she placed the dagger in a nearby drawer. After shutting said drawer, Winry turned to look around her room, frowning slightly when she saw that the space beneath her bed was empty. Her search of the house had revealed that something was indeed missing. With an amused sigh, Winry walked back down to the first floor and opened the back door.

"Den! Come here boy."

A furry face popped out of nearby bush, it sniffed the air before turning towards the sound of his owner's voice.

"Come here you silly mutt." Winry chuckled.

The black and white dog can running out of bushes. His tongue hung out of his mouth as he ran. Den quickly reached his mistress, immediately sitting down and wagging his tail.

"Come on, let's go inside boy." Winry said as she held the door open. Den trotted in and proceeded to lay down on a nearby rug. His fur was covered in leaves and twigs causing Winry to make a mental note to clean him later. Den would always get cranky when he was dirty. Winry was about to enter herself when she heard her name being called.

"Winry? Hey Winry."

Winry turned to see Pitt jogging towards her. "All of the tools are back in the smithy. I'm about to head back to town."

"Thanks Pitt. Sorry that you had to come all the way out here for nothing. I'll make sure to pay you extra." Winry sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. The rising winds blew her hair all around her face.

"Oh it's no trouble, Winry. Any day I see you is a nice one." Pitt said, giving her a bright smile.

His smile made Winry suddenly feel uncomfortable. "Um I guess we'll wait for the weather to get better, then we'll...uh make the delivery." She crossed her arms across her chest.

"Okay." Pitt said, oblivious to her uncomfortableness. After a moment of silence he glanced back at the coming storm. "You sure you'll be okay out here in this storm."

'Oh no, here it comes again.'

"I'll be fine Pitt. You on the other hand should get back home. Those clouds are rolling in fast." Winry said in a kind voice.

Pitt frowned. "I don't know Winry. I don't like the idea of you being out here all by yourself." His eyes were pleading.

Winry bit her bottom lip. He was being more stubborn than usual. "Technically I have Den, so I'm not really alone. Also I've survived dozens of storms on my own before. There's no need for you to be concerned about me. Please." She spoke in a stern voice, with her hands now on her hips.

Pitt's frown deepened, but he knew it was pointless to argue. "Alright, I'll see you later Winry." He huffed before jogging back to the horse drawn carriage. Several minutes later she heard the sounds of it moving on the road.

Winry sighed to herself. She wasn't oblivious; she saw the way Pitt looked at her and knew how he felt about her. But Winry had made it very clear to Pitt that she only thought of him as a close friend.

Besides, her heart belonged to another.

Winry turned to enter her house. Before closing the door she stopped to glance back the the approaching clouds.

Nothing good ever happened when a storm came. Winry hated storms; always had and probably always would.

 **OoO**

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 **OoO**

 **Miles away.**

'Winry must not be having a good day.' A man with golden hair and eyes thought as he glanced at the storm clouds in the distance. She had always hated storms when they were children. From where he stood, he could see the wind was pushing the clouds in the direction of Resembool.

Home.

He clenched his left fist as that word sent a surge of emotions through him. Relief, happiness, nervousness, guilt, shame, and dread. He couldn't tell which emotion was strongest, probably the shame. The very thought of returning there brought all of them crashing upon him like water against rocks. They washed over him and crept into what was left of his darkened soul. He had returned there many times in the past, but those had always been quick visits. This return was different.

Glancing back at the distant clouds, the man weighed his options. It looked like a rather nasty storm, but he had been through worst. For the last nine years he had traveled all over the known world; fighting all sorts of enemies. Brutal thugs, assassins, professional mercenaries, soldiers and various lawmen, crazy cultists, occasional corrupt nobles, even foes who weren't human.

Death.

That is what his life had become. Every day he had fought against it. Every day he had dealt it out to those foolish enough to fight him. The last nine years of his life had been nothing but death, hunger, pain, and failure.

So yeah, a storm wasn't much of a problem for him.

But fucking hell was he tired. It was already late in the day and it would take him hours to finish the trek to Resembool. If he didn't stop and rest he'd probably do something foolish like faint. It wouldn't do him any good if he passed out on Winry's doorstep.

Winry.

She was the only real friend that he had left in this world. His best friend since childhood.

The man sighed and buried his face in his mismatched hands. How was he supposed to tell her that he had failed? That after so long he was coming back empty handed. He was scared. Scared of how she would react; scared that she would hate him. He already hated himself for his cowardness.

"I'm sorry Al…I'm sorry."

He vaguely felt the single tear running down his face. For an unknown amount of time he stood there by the oak tree. It only took him a few seconds before he began thinking about Winry again. She had plagued his thoughts for the last five years with her beautiful blonde hair, contagious smile, and soft slender body. In his dreams she always looked so bright; so pure. But the dreams did make him wonder. After everything he'd been through, after everything he's done to survive. Would she accept him back into her life?

The man felt a ache in his chest that wasn't physical, but mental anguish. For several moments he pondered the question. Eventually his shoulders hunched as he found his answer. He had known Winry since they were children, he knew what she'd do.

The man with golden hair gave a sigh and held his belongings tighter. He looked back at the black clouds above Resembool. He thought about Winry, all alone in the old Rockbell house. Suddenly the desire to see her overcame the shame of returning empty handed. He needed to see her, touch her, feel the warmth and love that only she could provide him. He may have failed one promise, but he still had another to keep.

The man began checking to see if all his belongings were secured. His broadsword and mini crossbow were strapped to his person, and his other belongings were in a bag around his shoulder. Once his survey was complete the man set out to whatever awaited him in the storm.

 **OoO**

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 **OoO**

Night had fallen and the storm was striking in full force. Thunder and lightning clashed outside the house. The wind shook the walls while the rain rattled loudly off the roof. But Winry simply lay in bed, trying to fall asleep to no avail. She was staring up at the ceiling, trying to make out it's familiar lines and cracks through the darkness.

Winry sighed and rolled over. Sleep was always hard for her, especially now with all the racket. The minutes ticked by slowly as her mind began to wander.

'I wonder if he can see this storm. No, what am I thinking? He's probably in some distant land, nowhere near me.' Winry thought sadly before opening her eyes to look at the empty bedside next to her. Her bed had belonged to her grandparents, before they died, now it was hers. A big bed made for two, but now only housed one. Softly, Winry reached out and touched the bedside next to her. It was cold, but if she tried hard enough Winry could feel the warmth from his body. If she really tried then she could even smell him on the sheets.

Edward.

It had been so long, too long since the time he had lain next to her. Too long since he had held her in his strong arms.

A loud clap of thunder brought her back to the storm outside.

'I can't believe that I used to be afraid of them.' Winry thought with a sigh. 'I was such a scared little girl. But on the bright side, it did give me an excuse to go to him.' She gave a small smile as she remembered all the times her six year old self had shot out of bed at the first clap of thunder. Then she'd run as fast as her small feet would carry her to the next room. She'd pass the first bed and dive right onto the second. He'd always be asleep when she arrived. First he'd be annoyed at her intrusion then he'd tease her for being scared, but eventually he'd always hold her and whisper sweet words of comfort into her ear.

"Dear god, that was so long ago!" Winry breathed out loud. She was no longer a child of six, but a nineteen year old young woman. Yet the storms still haunted her.

The next clap of thunder brought a whimper from under the bed. Leaning over Winry saw Den huddled under the mattress. "Hey there." Winry whispered as she reached down to pet him. "It's okay. There's nothing to be afraid of. It's just a storm."

That wasn't a complete lie, Winry didn't fear storms. But she feared what happened during storms; what they brought with them. She feared the horrific, ungodly things that happened whenever a storm passed through. Suddenly her thoughts traveled back nine years, during a storm just as violent as this. She remembered how it had been like any other, then the strange lights appeared in the windows. Then the screaming started.

Winry bit her lip and quickly got up from the bed. Sleep was not coming to her and it would do her no good to dwell on the past. Stepping onto the wooden floor, Winry straightened out her white nightgown. Like most of her clothes, it was an old and rather flimsy thing. But Winry never saw the need to own fancy clothes. Precious silks and fabrics didn't make life any easier. They didn't make her a better blacksmith. Nor would they fill the gap in her heart that could only be filled by Edward.

Glancing back at the bed, Winry recalled the last time Edward had been in this house. He hadn't stayed long. He was here less than a week and then he was off again. That was how his visits usually went, Edward would arrive with a problem whether it be a broken sword or he needed new armor. Winry would fulfill his request, give him a bed to rest in, and then see him off. These visits were brief yet she treasured every single moment of them. An occasional smile on his lips, a nice meal between the two of them, reminiscing about happier times. Winry lived for those moments with him, however rare they were.

On the last night of his visit, she'd woken up to him screaming from a night terror. After getting him to calm down, she invited him back to her bed. Their childhood habit of sharing a bed during rough times had never truly gone away. They never did anything beyond simply lay next to each other. Whenever Edward shared her bed, it was always as a friend and never a lover. But that last night had been different. Instead of just keeping to his side of the bed, Edward had reached over and pulled her against him. For the entire night they slept in each other's arms.

Even now, the memory caused a certain warmth to flutter in her stomach. 'We never did talk about it. I guess he didn't want to. But what was there to talk about? He needed a warm body to hold and I was able to give him that.' Winry felt the soft prickling of tears that always came when she thought about Edward. She did her best to stay strong without him; but everything seemed so pointless when he wasn't home.

A sudden thunderclap shook Winry from her mournful memories. Realizing it wouldn't help to dwell on such thoughts, she looked around for a distraction.

Crossing her room, Winry walked over to an old desk with a dusty mirror on it. Opening a drawer, she pulled out a match and promptly lit it. After lighting a candle, she shook the match out and turned to look at herself in the mirror.

'Well at least my hair is still blonde.' Winry thought as she ran a hand through her still yellow locks. Years of smelting steel and iron, managing the forge, and working near fire had not damaged them.

While on the subject of her hair, Winry reached into another drawer and pulled out a hairbrush. Winry had long ago found that sitting and brushing her hair was a good way for her to relax. At moments like this, Winry would use her odd method of stress relief to take her mind off of depressing thoughts.

Winry lifted the brush and began to leisurely drag it through her hair. She had always been proud of her hair. It was shoulder length and always drew compliments when she went into town.

'Though most of the time I can do without said compliments. It's a good thing I don't live in town anymore or else I'd never get a moment's peace.' Winry groaned to herself. At nineteen years old, Winry had flowered into quite a beautiful young woman.

Or so everyone kept telling her.

As she studied herself in the mirror, Winry didn't feel beautiful at the moment. Her natural azure colored eyes were constantly tired looking, and now had a dull gray tint to them. Dark shadows seemed to hang beneath them permanently. Her cheeks were pale and sunken. The hand that gripped the brush was worn and callous, several small scars adorned the skin as well. She thought her rather thin frame to be too muscular in certain places. Several years ago Winry might have considered herself beautiful, but not anymore.

But much to Winry's disdain, she attracted a lot of unwanted male attention. Whenever she went to town, men's gazes followed her every move. There were the men like Pitt who meant her no harm, yet there were also the monsters. Lustful creatures who lurked in the dark, ready to snatch their prey and drag them screaming into shadows. The kinds of shadows that housed the thieves and murderers who stalked the streets like wolves on the hunt. There were reasons Winry rarely traveled to town, and always brought a weapon with her. As a young girl Winry had thought the world was kind, like in the stories her mother would tell her. Well that childish innocence had been stripped from her long ago. It had taken a while, but Winry eventually discovered how cruel and unforgiving the world really was.

Winry hissed as the brush scraped hard against her scalp successfully shaking the girl from her bleak thoughts. A moment passed before she flung the hairbrush across the room with a angry cry. Winry turned back to the mirror and felt the urge to smash her reflection. She didn't do that, though. Instead Winry buried her face in her arms and began to cry. She cried and sobbed until there were no more tears to shed. She stayed like that, her upper body laying on the desk. Winry didn't have the strength, or the desire, to return to her bed.

Eventually, the always pressing weight of the world got to Winry and she drifted off to sleep.

Several hours later Winry was woken from her slumber by loud knocking echoing through the house. It took a moment for Winry to realize that someone was at her door. She immediately shot up in the chair before groaning at the stiffness in her back.

'Who the hell is knocking so loud?'

Once her vision focused, Winry glanced at a nearby window. 'And who the hell is visiting me during a storm?'

Sure enough, the storm was still raging on outside. She couldn't tell what time it was, but the sky was lighter. It looked to be a little bit before sunrise.

More knocking brought Winry back to the current situation. 'Perhaps it's a traveler lost in the storm. Or could it be…'

Excitement pooled in Winry's stomach and she quickly got to her feet. She was about to rush downstairs when she stopped herself. 'I'm being ridiculous, it might not be him. But…who else would be stupid enough to visit me during a storm?' Just to be safe, she grabbed her dagger from another drawer before heading downstairs. Den, scared of the storm, remained under the bed.

Winry walked down the rickety staircase and stepped onto the first floor. She could hear the wind howling, but the house stood strong. Making her way to the front door, Winry held the dagger behind her back and reached for the door knob. With a turn of her wrist, the door opened to reveal…Pitt.

Sure enough her friend and handyman was indeed standing on her doorstep in the pouring rain.

"Seriously?" Winry muttered as she tossed the dagger on a counter before holding the door open for him. "Get inside dummy."

Pitt quickly entered, with Winry shutting the door behind him. He wore a now soaked brown cloak over his tall frame. "Jeez. It sure is coming down out there." Pitt said with a chuckle as he went to light the fireplace.

Winry lingered by the door, unsure how to respond. "Pitt what…"

"Yeah, I know. What am I doing here?" Pitt said with a slight grimace. "Believe it or not, the storm has actually died down quite a bit." He tried to lighten the mood.

"Pitt." Winry put her hands on her hips and arched an eyebrow at him. "Not that it isn't good to see you, but I have to ask why you're here...before dawn...during a storm?"

Pitt chewed his lower lip as he finished lighting the fire. He sighed before standing up and removing his wet cloak. Underneath he wore a cotton tunic and brown trousers. "Well I know that you told me that you'd be okay…"

"And I am."

"Yes, I know." Pitt shifted shyly causing Winry to frown. "But I was trying to sleep and I just...I kept thinking of you."

Winry gulped. She had a pretty good idea where this was going and she didn't want to have this discussion again.

"Pitt...we've talked about this." Winry sighed as she sat down on a chair at the dinner table. She raised her head to look Pitt in his eyes. "I love Ed-"

"But why?!" Pitt shouted, causing Winry to jump. His voice then softened. "Listen…I know how you feel, but face the facts Winry. He's changed. Ed's not the same child that we grew up with."

Winery's eyes narrowed, but before she could respond Pitt cut her off again. "And how do you know he even feels the same? You don't. I don't mean to be be an ass, but you gotta face the facts Winry. He probably only thinks of you as nothing more than his blacksmith! Why else would he always be traveling?"

Winry felt anger rise in her. How dare he! He had no idea. Pitt had no idea of the responsibility that Edward faced. At the moment Winry was dead set on giving Pitt a piece of her mind. But before she could challenge him, Pitt had dropped to his knees in front of her.

"I know you only think of me as a friend." Pitt said, taking her hands in his. A pleading look was in his eyes. "But I can take care of you and I won't leave you like Edward has. Maybe in time..."

"Get out!"

Pitt seemed stunned by her words. His eyes widened when he saw the anger on Winry's face.

"Winry I…"

"I said get out. You're no longer welcomed here Pitt!" Winry glared at him, wrenching her hands out of his grasp. She then stood up and marched over to the front door where she held it open for him. The wind blew in harshly, but she ignored it. "I made my decision long ago and I chose him. I don't care how long I have to wait."

Pitt reeled back as if she'd slapped him. His mouth opened to protest, but he fell silent at the look she gave him. Wordlessly Pitt rose off his knees and grabbed his cloak. He quickly walked across the kitchen towards the door. The floorboards creaked under his feet.

Winry maintained her glare as Pitt walked passed her, he avoided eye contact. By now the rain had turned into a foggy drizzle so she didn't feel too bad for kicking him out. Pitt quickly stepped through the door and walked down the small porch. Winry watched him begin to cross the yard; she was about to close the door when he stopped.

"Winry listen…" Pitt turned back to look at her. "It's been a year since anyone's seen him. How do you even know he's still alive?"

Winry felt her fingertips dig into the wood of the door. She fought to maintain her composure as anger and dread flooded her heart. Anger at Pitt for suggesting such a horrible idea, and dread that he might actually be right.

'No! He's not dead! I refuse to believe it.' Winry felt tears glistening in her eyes. Blinking them away, Winry locked eyes with Pitt. Her voice had a slight tremble to it as she spoke.

"I don't know. But I have faith. " She almost whispered, yet Pitt was able to hear her over the wind. "I have faith that he's alive, and I have faith that he will come back. He always does."

Pitt gave an annoyed sigh. "Come on Winry be reasonable-"

 _Thunk_

Pitt never finished that sentence before a black arrow punched its way through his head. His body went stiff for a few seconds before falling forward like a toppled tree.

Winry's mouth opened in shock, but no sound came out. Her eyes were wide and her hands went to her face. Winry stood there frozen, unable to tear her eyes away from the sight in front of her. Pitt lay on his stomach, with his head turned to the side. The arrow had exited through his right eye; the eyeball itself was skewered on the arrowhead. The light rain drizzled down as red liquid dispersed into the nearby puddles.

Winry was so preoccupied by the horrific sight that she didn't see the four approaching figures. The locking of a crossbow snapping Winry out of her stupor. Winry whirled around and paled when she saw four men standing about 30 paces away.

All four of them wore armor. The lack of any sigil or shared uniforms made it all too clear that they were bandits. They were armed with various weapons, and all of them appeared to be much older than her. The smallest of them wore leather armor with an iron helmet that exposed his scarred face. His scabbard held a simple iron sword. In his hands he held the reins of four horses. The other two were very ugly, both sporting basic iron plated armor. One held an ax while the other a broadsword. Winry's attention then turned to the man standing at the front of the gang.

He wore the best armor out of all of them; steel plates with leather boots and gauntlets. He was also the best looking out of all of them, which wasn't really saying much. The man had long black hair pulled into a ponytail; as well as a mustache. His face was scarred with a large eyepatch covering his right eye. This man was obviously the leader of the bandits and he was also the one pointing a crossbow at her.

"Good morning miss." The one eyed man grinned as he stalked towards Winry; the crossbow aimed right at her heart. "I'd advise against running...or screaming...in fact I wouldn't do anything at all."

Winry remained frozen by the door as the men drew nearer. Soon they were only seven feet away.

"Your name wouldn't be Rockbell would it?" The one eyed man asked. "So you're the woman blacksmith I've heard about."

The man with the ax licked his lips. "She's certainly more delectable than I thought she'd be. I was expecting some big ugly bitch, but instead…" His eyes traveled over her body in a way that sent shivers down her spine. Her eyes darted back to the leader with the crossbow.

"Y-You're name is Bald." She was trying to keep her voice calm. "I've seen the wanted posters in town."

The one eyed man lowered the crossbow and gave a mock bow. "At your service, Lady Rockbell."

Winry felt her heartbeat turning to thunder. Bald was one of the most wanted and feared bandits in the land of Amestris. She vaguely recalled that the posters said he was wanted for murder, killing Royal soldiers, pillaging, robbery….and rape.

Winry glanced behind her and saw her dagger was on the kitchen counter. Too far for her to grab without them seeing.

Bald followed her gaze inside the house. "There wouldn't be anyone else here would there?" His grin was amused.

Winry jumped at his voice and turned back to face him. Her heart caught in her throat when she saw Pitt's body.

"Why? Why did you do that!" Winry's voice held anger. Pitt didn't deserve to die! Not like that.

"I needed the target practice." Bald chuckled with a shrug. "Just lost my good eye." He tapped his eyepatch.

"What do you want?" She snapped.

"Let's talk inside." Bald muttered. He tossed the crossbow to one of his men. "Tie the horses up." Bald ordered before stepping onto the stairs and shoving Winry through the door.

"Ahhgg!" Winry grunted as she fall back, catching herself on the counter. As she pulled herself up Winry saw her dagger lying on the wooden surface. With loud footsteps approaching, she quickly reached up to grab the weapon. Winry slid it into her thigh holster just as Bald pushed the door open.

"Now let's talk."

 **OoO**

* * *

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Winry sat as still as a statue, not moving a single muscle as the bandits laid waste to her pantry. They must have been traveling for days without a meal because they descended on the food like rabid animals. One of them was currently standing guard next her as she sat in the middle of her demolished kitchen. Winry could feel his eyes on her, yet she avoided looking at him. So far the bandits hadn't spoken to or touched her, and Winry wanted to keep it that way.

'But how long will that last?' Winry thought as she quickly glanced towards the pantry. 'What happens when they're done eating and drinking?' She knew what was going to happen. These bandits were violent, cruel men who'd been on the road for too long and were no doubt itching for some female company.

'I still have the knife.' She glanced down at her thigh, hidden underneath the gown. But quickly her pessimistic side took over. 'But there's four of them. I'll just have to hope that the first one likes privacy. I could slit his throat and try to escape.' A loud laugh came from the pantry, followed by the smashing of crates.

Winry had encountered men like this before. Several years prior while buying food at the market, a drunkard had grabbed her and dragged her into a nearby alley. She had been able to escape that time, barely. She'd been roughed up pretty badly, but had been relatively alright. But Winry knew that she wasn't getting out of this in one piece. Suddenly Winry heard the door of the pantry open and the sounds of approaching footsteps.

"Slicer, go on and eat something. We'll watch her."

The man known as Slicer merely grunted before walking out of view. Winry turned to see Bald and the small one in leather standing behind her. The fear which had been building in her stomach was now threatening to burst.

"I must apologize for the way we've been treating you, milady." Bald spoke as he stalked around Winry and sat in a chair opposite her. The other bandit stood next to her. "After all, you've not only graciously opened up your house and given us shelter. You've also provided food and drink for our weary souls."

Winry kept her mouth shut and merely stared back at him. Although it might provoke anger, she didn't want to play his game. When Bald saw that she wasn't going to respond, he chuckled loudly.

"Oh my, you don't scare easy do you? Most women would be crying, begging, or spreading their legs by this point; but not you. Instead you stand your fucking ground." Bald's face seemed genuinely amused. "I can't help but feel some respect towards you."

Winry tried to keep her voice monotone. "That's certainly nice to hear."

This only made Bald laugh more. He turned to the scarred man in leather. "Wow, a pair of balls and a sense of humor. I may have to keep this one."

The man in leather gave a grin that could make an undertaker's skin crawl. "Aw, you sure you don't want to share?"

Winry's stomach clenched in fear and her grip on her nightgown tightened. "You said earlier that you wanted to talk?" She said hoping to get some control of the situation.

"Hey?" The leather man snapped. "Who said you could ask questions?" Without his helmet on, Winry could see his deathly pale face and oily black hair.

Bald's grin only grew when he saw Winry's discomfort. "You'll have to forgive Majhal. He can be a bit temperamental when it comes to pretty girls like you. Now yes. I did want to talk to you about the nearby town of Resembool."

Winry glanced cautiously at Majhal before speaking. "What about it?"

"We'd like to know some things." Bald's smirk was infuriating. A voice from behind her spoke next. "How many soldiers are posted there? Where are the barracks and how well defended is it? Who're the richest fuckers in town? Do those rich fuckers have pretty daughters?"

Winry turned around and paled when she saw the two other bandits were behind her. Suddenly the fear and anxiety began to boil inside her. She was surrounded; trapped on all sides by animals. "Y-you're going to raid the town?" Winry did her best to keep her fear from showing.

"Something like that." Majhal mused with a smirk.

"W-well it won't work. There's twenty soldiers garrisoned there; it'd be suicide for the four of you to-"

Suddenly Bald lashed out and kicked the chair out from under her; sending Winry crashing to the ground. The fall caused her to cry out and the hard floor only made it worse. She collided with the wooden planks, her head bouncing off the ground. Through the ringing in her ears, Winry could faintly hear the men laughing.

"You lie to me again and it'll be worse the next time." Bald's face had lost some of its amusement as he looked over her sprawled body. "Now, how many soldiers are there really? And don't tell me that you don't know. You're the only smith in the county; where else would those royal cocksuckers go to get their metal pricks sharpened." Before Winry could even think about responding, the nameless bandit crouched next to her.

"You look like you're cold in just that gown, miss." His grin was animalistic as he leered down at her. "So you better answer his question, or else we're going to take it off you."

'Oh god.' Winry felt tears forming in her eyes. The world had always been cruel, but never this hateful. 'Even if I tell them everything they want to know; they'll still rape me. And when they're done, they'll kill me.' That was it. That would be the story of her life.

"Come on bitch." Slicer sneered as he kicked Winry viciously in her lower back.

"Ahh!" Winry cried out before a rough hand grabbed handfuls of her hair and tugged her up. Winry gasped as she was pulled into a standing position by Majhal. The greasy haired bandit grinned as he fisted her hair roughly in one hand; his other began to play with the neckline of her nightgown. Winry fought to keep the tears at bay while she struggled to free herself. The nameless bandit reached down and violently tugged at the skirt of her nightgown; tearing it slightly. This caused Majhal and Slicer to cackle as the grip on her hair threatened to rip her scalp right off. Bald merely watched the scene before him with growing amusement.

Winry was on the verge of full on panicking when suddenly her eyes widened. 'The knife!'

Her struggles against the brutish men around her had caused Winry's skirt to ride up high on her legs. This made it all the more easy for Winry to reach down and wrap her right hand around the handle of the knife.

"Come on, milady." Majhal leaned in to press his crooked nose into her blond hair. "Just answer the question and we'll-" Whatever the bandit was going to say next died in his throat as Winry buried her dagger in his neck. "Aaacckkggg!"

Winry didn't even hear the laughter around her stop. All she was aware of was that she needed to run. Mahjah let out a gasping sound before he stumbled back, blood erupting from his severed jugular. Unfortunately he took the knife with him, but he released her. Before any of the shocked bandits could react, Winry swung her fist into Slicer's face. She vaguely felt his nose shatter before shoving her way past him and running for the door. Winry practically flew across the room and threw the door open. Behind her, she could hear shouting and the sounds of them pursuing her. Winry risked a quick look back to see an enraged Bald rushing towards her with a sword in hand.

"You fucking cunt!" He shouted.

With pure adrenalin running through her veins, Winry leapt through the open door, slamming it behind her. She nearly stumbled and fell when her bare feet first hit the wet ground. But Winry regained her balance and started running blindly. 'If I can get to the woods, I can hide. They'll never-'

Winry was so absorbed in her thoughts that she nearly had a heart attack when she suddenly slammed into a solid shape. A tall, hard, human shape. On pure instinct Winry pushed away from this shape, but a strong arm wrapped itself around her.

An arm that felt as if it was made of metal.

Winry immediately stopped struggling as her body froze like a statue. Slowly, she lifted her head to see sharp golden eyes staring down at her. These golden eyes sat on a slightly rounded face which was worn and had its fair share of scars. Wild golden hair, almost as wild as the current look in his eyes, framed the familiar face of the man who she loved.

"Edward!" Winry gasped.

 **OoO**

* * *

 **OoO**

Once the storm had started to clear, it didn't take Edward Elric very long to reach his destination. The long sprawling fields of Resembool were a sight for sore eyes. The very fields which he'd spend hours running and playing in as a child. Had it really been a year since his last visit? It had been almost a year since he'd last been here. Almost a year since he'd seen her. The very thought of that caused an ache in his heart.

'I didn't know I still had a heart.' He half-joked to himself. But in all seriousness, he was still worried about her reaction to seeing him. Would she hate him? Revile him? Look upon him as a failure? Ed wouldn't blame her if she did. He had failed his mission. The mission that he'd dedicated all of the last nine years of his life towards.

As the surrounding countryside got more and more familiar, Ed resolved to quiet his disheartening thoughts. 'There is nothing I can do to change what happened.' He sighed to himself. 'Whatever Winry's decision is; I will abide it. If she wants me gone; I'll leave.' But he didn't want that. What would he do? Where would he go? This world had taken everything from him, except for Winry. She was the only thing left in his world; the only thing that mattered anymore. Whatever role she wanted him to play in her life, he'd play it. If she'd let him; he'd stay by her side always, protect her, comfort her…love her.

As he grew nearer to the Rockbell house, Edward immediately knew that something was wrong. He could feel it, gnawing at the back of his mind. Over the many years of killing and attempts on his life; Ed had started to develop this sixth sense. His gloved hand tightened around his bag as he stared at the ground. His eyes then swept the surrounding countryside before looking up at the sky to see a vulture circling up ahead.

"Winry…" Ed gasped her name before he took off down the muddy road, running faster than he had in years. His heavy armor rattled and his broadsword repeatedly bounced off his back, but Edward didn't care. Within a minute he'd reached the hill overlooking the Rockbell house. Usually the sight would bring a small smile to his face, but not his time. Immediately his eyes zeroed in on the dead body lying near the house. Edward narrowed his eyes and placed his bag of belonging down before cautiously making his way down the hill. Edward could see four horse tied up near the house. Only one of them had a saddle and it was a rather shitty one at that.

"Bandits." Ed's growl was low and deep. His anger only grew when he recognized the body as his former childhood friend Pitt. Reaching back, Edward pulled his heavy broadsword out of its sheath. It was deadly weapon, five and a half feet in length. Only slightly shorter than himself. It was one of Winry's finest works.

Winry!

Ed's anger was replaced with panic. Where was she? Her body wasn't outside so she must be inside the house...with the bandits. Edward was now crouched, moving towards the house with his broadsword held solely in his left hand. As he got closer, Ed's keen ears could hear male voices inside the house. Edward's teeth ground as an animalistic snarl left him. Was Winry still alive? What were they doing to her? Those fucking bastards! If they hurt her-

Ed's murderous thoughts were interrupted by the front door of the house bursting open and a figure in white flying out. It only took him half a second to recognize Winry. She ran towards Ed like the devil himself was chasing her. Winry must have been disorientated because she ran right into him without trying to stop. Ed stood up to his full height right as her smaller body slammed into his chest. His left arm immediately wrapped around her waist protectively. Almost subconsciously Ed moved his right arm away from his body so she wouldn't cut herself on his sword. His eyes, however, never left her face. The next few seconds seemed like hours as Winry's body went stiff before she lifted her head to look at him.

Ed felt his heart clench sadly in his chest when he finally saw Winry. The last year had not been kind to her. Winry's face was paler, her features more thin, and there were bags under her eyes. Her eyes didn't even have the same light that they once had. But despite that, she was still the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Nothing could ever change that.

"Edward!" She gasped in both shock and relief. Tears started to pour from her mesmerizing azure eyes as she gripped him frantically. Ed opened his mouth to speak when he suddenly heard the door slamming open again.

A man in steel armor rushed out before he came to a screeching halt. His one eye widened in shock when he saw Edward. Instinctively Ed tightened his grip on Winry and moved her behind him. Once she was safely situated, Edward turned to face the one eyed man. By now two more men had joined him on the stoop of the house. All three of them were armed; the one eyed man had a decently crafted sword, the one to his right had an axe while the other held a greatsword. None of them looked like they had any idea of what to do.

Edward did admit that, standing at 6'1 feet tall and covered from head to toe in muscle, he was a rather fearsome sight. The heavy armor he wore was black as the night and shielded most of his body. Attached to his back was a blood red cape. His golden eyes had the ability to either hypnotise or terrorize those who saw them. His battle hardened face was decorated with several scars. His striking golden hair was wild and untamed. But the final touch was his broadsword. Despite its great size, Ed had learned to wield it one handed. Many people had told Edward that they'd never seen a warrior like him before. Judging by the looks on the three men's faces; neither had they. If it wasn't for the fact that Winry was in danger, he would have laughed.

The one eyed man seemed to regain his senses first. "Hello there." He offered with a fake smile. "Lovely day isn't it."

Ed merely glared back without speaking. He recognized this man from various wanted posters he'd seen. His name was Bald. Obviously he'd taken Ed for some kind of fellow marauder.

Bald frowned at Ed's silence, his one eye moving from Edward's giant sword to his arm around Winry. He stepped off the porch and raised his hands. "There's no need to fight, friend. We just want that bitch you've got in your arms. Thanks for catching her for us, by the way."

Ed felt a tremble go through Winry's body. His rage grew as he could feel the fear radiating off her. "What did you fuckers do to her?" He growled out, golden eyes burning like an inferno.

Bald faltered in his steps, nervousness briefly flashed across his face before it was replaced by a haughty glare. "Nothing yet. But we were about to have us some fun when you showed up." The two other bandits were now flanking their boss, weapons in hand. "Who the fuck are you anyway?"

The tension was so thick you could cut it with a blade. Ed's icy glare didn't falter as he passed a large knife to Winry. Just in case. He knew she could use it since he'd trained her himself. Ed felt her shaky fingers take the blade from him.

"Your death." He said.

"Kill him!" Bald shouted and the two other men charged forward. The broadsword man hesitated slightly though and fell behind the axe one. Ed kept his sword low and waited until the first man was within range. With almost supernatural speed, he lunged forward and brought the sword down on the bandit. The greatsword cut through the man like a knife through butter; splitting him from head to groin. For a moment the two halves stood still as a statue while the man's intestines spilled out onto the ground. Blood sprayed the grass before the split body fell down.

Glancing up Ed saw the broadsword man swinging his weapon towards him. Ed blocked the blow almost effortlessly, the two greatswords slamming together and becoming locked. The bandit's eyes widened while Ed smirked darkly at him. Over the man's shoulder Edward could see the one eyed man moving to hit him from the side. Ed quickly shoved all of his weight into the broadsword wielding bandit. Said bandit fell back like a fallen tree and landed hard on the ground. Edward then whipped around just as Bald lunged, intent on running Ed through with his sword.

 _Clang_

"What?" Bald gasped in shock. The tall stranger had stopped his sword with his own hand! With one squeeze from the man the blade snapped in two.

Ed then bashed the one eyed man across the face with the butt of his sword. Blood erupted from the bandit's mouth and he fell backwards. A groaning sound signaled that his other opponent was getting up. One swing from Edward's sword severed the man's head from his shoulders. Unlike the previous bandit, the lifeless body immediately toppled over.

'Only one left.' Ed thought as he turned to see Bald hunched over on the ground; blood pouring from his battered mouth. Now that the body of the snake was destroyed, it was time to finish off the head. Upon hearing Ed's heavy footfalls the bandit leader glared up at the much taller figure.

"Y-yuu...ak...yuuur Fullmetal!" He spat through a mouthful of shattered teeth and bleeding gums.

Ed's face held no emotion as he raised his sword. He then slashed the sword down into Bald's chest; nearly severing him in half. The one eyed man's last eye widened before rolling back as gurgled breaths caught in his throat. Ed watched the dying man with no sympathy or remorse. The bandit may have been beaten and unarmed, but this bastard had attacked Winry. For that he had to die.

As long as Ed was around, no one would ever hurt Winry ever again.

Edward pulled his giant sword from the dead man who toppled over. Not giving any of the bodies a second glance; his eyes quickly sought out Winry. He didn't have to look far because as soon as Ed turned around, Winry was literally throwing herself at him. Ed instantly dropped his heavy weapon and caught her in his arms. Silent tears were trailing down her cheeks as Winry buried her face in his neck. Ed practically crushed Winry against his chest, while also being careful not to hurt her. In that one moment right there, both of them felt happier than they'd been in months.

"Edward." Winry whispered into his shoulder, her voice thick with tears.

"Shhh." Ed said soothingly as he ran a hand up and down her back. "I'm here, Winry." Although he would have been happy to simply hold her like that all day; he had to see if she was alright. Ed gently placed her back on the ground and, with a gloved hand, tilted her chin up to look at him.

"Are you alright? They didn't hurt you did they?" He didn't even try to keep the concern out of his normally deep and monotone voice.

Winry shook her head while away the last of her tears. "No, nothing serious. Thanks to you." A brilliant smile broke out on her face. Ed couldn't help but return it. His smile faded however when he saw a bruise forming on the right side of her face. Ed's hand went up to touch it, but he was stopped by Winry.

"It's just a scratch Ed. I'm fine, really." She spoke quietly. Ed eyed her injury with a mournful expression before he leaned down to press his forehead against hers.

"I'm so sorry Winry. I should have gotten here sooner. Fuck! If I was a minute later-"

Winry stepped back from him with a befuddled expression. "Edward, please don't do that."

Ed sighed and pulled Winry back into another hug. Although his armor was a hindrance, they could still feel the warmth and comfort radiating from the other person. The year long absence seemed to have never happened. They both knew that the day's excitement was far from over; yet neither of them cared. Eventually Ed heard a small chuckle come from the woman in his arms. Pulling back, he saw a smile forming on her tear stained face.

"What are you laughing at?" Ed asked softly.

Winry lifted her head to look at his face. "The storm."

Ed's brow creased in confusion which caused her to laugh even more. "I was scared that the storm was going to bring something terrible and for a while I thought it had. But then you came home. It brought you home to me." Winry was crying again, but this time with tears of happiness.

"Welcome home Ed." She whispered into his chest.

Ed was silent for a long moment before he spoke. "I'm glad to be back."

He truly was.

 **OoO**

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 **OoO**

 **So that was part one of three for this short story. I've had this story on the back burner for so long, its feels weird to finally upload it. The next two chapters are already completed and I will be uploading them within a few days. I'll try to finish my revisions of Kingdom soon, but for now enjoy I hope you enjoy this story.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Pepin-Bones:** Thank you for the review. I'm glad to hear that people find this story original. So far I've done my best to make each of my stories unique so that they add something to this fanbase. Btw if you're going to watch Berserk, I should warn you that is definitely not for the faint of heart.

 **Vhosek:** Thank you for your compliments. Yeah I do admit that FMA with elements of Berserk is a weird idea. I'm not entirely sure where the idea for this story came from. I knew that I wanted to do a fantasy AU, but wasn't sure where to go with it. Around that time I finished watching Berserk and thats when the idea came for this story came to me. Edward in this story is modeled after Guts for Berserk with his height, swordsman skills, and brooding demeanor. Beyond that and some other elements I did my best to keep this original. I hope you enjoy the rest of it.

 **Heads up, there is some sexual content near the end of this chapter.**

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 **OoO**

 **Nine years earlier, that fateful night.**

"Br-brother?" Al gasped.

'Something is wrong.' Ed thought. 'Something went wrong!'

They'd been warned, of course. Their teacher, Izumi, had beaten into them that there were certain spells to never try. That some stones were better left unturned. Necromancy was a forbidden taboo for a reason. Attempting it was like walking on a tightrope. The special arrays had to be drawn exactly right and the castors had to be perfectly focussed. The slightest mistake could lead to disaster for all parties involved. When studying under Izumi the brothers had heard the various stories about what happened when something went wrong. It could be loss of limb, death, or worse.

The crimson surged suddenly erupted, shooting out across the room. Ed and Al gasped as the wave of archaic energy passed through them. They should have ran, but the two boys found themselves unable to move. Was it because of the rogue magic energy or their own crippling fear? Outside the cottage the storm was now announcing its arrival. Thunders boomed outside and lightning flashed through the windows, but the Elric brothers didn't notice.

Black mist suddenly billowed upward as the red mass began to spread out as if making way for something else. Then it appeared. A dark, midnight black dome suddenly appeared out of the magic energy. Ed's breath died in his throat, his arms trembled in fear as the dome rose to reveal a neck then the outline of shoulders.

"Oh shit!" Ed gasped, something _alive_ was emerging of the array.

Necromancy was a forbidden taboo for a reason. Everything must be perfect. The slightest mistake and the caster would experience untold horror.

The head and shoulders rose further as the black glob grew taller and taller. It didn't seem to be made of flesh. But nor was it a being of pure energy either.

"W-w-what is that?" Al shouted over the shrieking wind. Everything not bolted down in the cottage was being tossed and thrown by the force of the creature's entrance.

Ed was dead silent as his face grew deathly pale. The charcoal colored creature's arms were now visible as it stood up. The being was tall, it's bald head almost bumping against the ceiling.

"A demon." Ed whispered as his blood ran cold.

The creature's head shot around to face them. It must have heard him. Then it's eyes opened causing both Ed and Al to gasp. Dozens of eyes littered the demon's black surface. They were curved like the eyes of a reptile and were a dark red.

"Ed, make it go away!" Al shouted as the wind became that of a hurricane. "Banish it!"

'Banish it?' Ed thought dumbly, unable to take his eyes off the horror in front of him. Then suddenly he remembered what his brother was referring to, a banishing spell. They'd learned a powerful one several months earlier. With a shaky voice, Ed stuttered out the words.

" _انصرف_." It was nothing, barely a whisper. Ed ground his teeth and summoned all the strength he had left. " _بواسطة الصوفي الفنون القديمة بيغون_!" He shouted at the multi eyed demon.

Nothing happened. Time seemed to slow down as Edward realized that the spell hadn't worked. The demon stayed where it was. The dozens of eyes flashed with amusement before teeth and a mouth suddenly formed on its face. The Demon's new mouth morphed into a grin before it let out the darkest, most sinister laugh Ed had ever heard.

" **Hahahahahahah**!" It's eyes focused on Edward. " **It will take a lot more than that parlor trick to get rid of me, boy.** " The creature then waved its twisted hand through the air.

"Argh!" Edward was then thrown back by an unseen force. It was like a large hand had struck him! Ed felt himself slam into the hard surface of the wall before falling forward. The sturdy floorboards were unforgiving as his head bounced off them, opening a gash on Edward's forehead.

"Edwar-AAHHH!"

"...Al." Ed's vision swirled and dots exploded in front of him. Faintly he could hear the cutting wind and crashing thunder outside, he could also hear Alphonse whimpering. Despite the throbbing pain, Edward pushed his upper body to see what was happening.

Four black tendrils had emerged from the demon's chest and wrapped themselves around Al. His arms and legs were tied together and his body was pinned to the ground, unable to move. The younger Elric brother was looking at Ed with a face of absolute terror.

"Alphonse!" Ed shouted, trying to rise only to be thrown back against the wall. This time he slid down the floor as opposed to falling. But the pain in his head had intensified to the point that Edward could barely see.

"What is happening?" Edward whispered through clenched to teeth. He didn't know who he was asking: God, his brother, or the demon itself. Nevertheless, he got his answer.

" **To attempt to bring back the dead, you must open a door to the other side**." The demon's voice seemed to be dripping with joy and excitement. " **Did you forget that a door always opens both ways? Well you opened that door, rang the bell, and I answered it."**

Ed's eyes opened to see the demon was no longer being bathed in crimson light. Instead a dark grey mist was flowing out of the array, obscuring the creature's feet. If it even had any.

Off to the side Al was still struggling to escape the tendrils that entrapped him. Large tears were running down the younger boy's face.

"Alphonse!" Ed gasped, but was unable to rise. His body felt like that it being weighed down by heavy stones.

" **You pitiful, foolish mortals. How typical of humans to tamper with what they don't understand. So often is your own stupidity the cause of your downfall.** " The demon's booming voice filled the cabin. " **You sought to play god and thus will pay for your arrogance**." The grinning monster then turned towards Al. " **Let's start with you, little one.** "

"No!" Edward shouted, blood pounding in his head. "Leave him alone, you bastard!"

Without even sparing a glance at Ed, the demon waved its hand through the air. The older Elric felt his body being seized by another unseen force and tossed against the wall for a third time. This impact was harder and more painful than the previous two. Ed's bruised and bloody body tumbled to the ground, barely conscious. Spots and shadows flashed in front of him, his vision was like a dying candle. Through the haze, he could vaguely hear the demon's cruel voice.

" **Tell me, boy. Did you love your mother?** "

"W-what?" Came Al's scared whisper.

A sound that reminded Ed of a rope being constricted was heard followed by Al's pained whimpers.

" **Answer me.** "

"Yyy-yess!" He sobbed.

" **Did you love her, body and soul?** "

"Al." Ed whispered. Through his fuzzy vision Edward could see the demon's dark shape looming over Alphonse. "Don't…"

"Yes." Al squeaked in fear.

A low, rumbling laughter then filled the cottage as lightning flashed through the windows. " **Good. Let's begin."** Suddenly Alphonse and the creature were surrounded by a glowing red circle. Vibrating columns of charged energy shot out of the glowing ring, obscuring Ed's view of them.

"Al!" Ed screamed, pushing himself up. But as he tried to stand, his left leg gave out. "Aggh!" Edward tumbled back to the ground, a throbbing pain pulsed from his leg. It must have been broken by his fall.

Meanwhile, a ten year old Winry Rockbell was still watching the Elric's house with stunned awe and wonder. 'Am I dreaming?' She wondered as the bright lights continued to shine through the cottages windows. They illuminated the surrounding landscape and captivated the little girl. She didn't even notice that the distant storm was on top of them and heavy rain drops were hitting her roof.

Suddenly the lights turned a dark crimson and a strange sound filled the air. Winry frowned and craned her head forward to try and hear what it was. Despite the rapid wind, heavy rain, and thunderclaps; Winry could make out the horrible sound.

Screaming. Loud, primal screams of pain.

"Alphonse! Alphonse!" Ed shouted, hot tears burning down his face. He couldn't see what was happening within the red circle, but Alphonse was screaming. Why was he screaming?

"Oh god…" Sobs had started to wrack his body. "Why is this happening to us?" He whispered to no one. What was happening to Al? What was that monster doing to him?

Suddenly the swirling funnel stopped and everything went deathly quiet. Pain still pulsed through body, especially Ed's leg. It was either badly sprained, or broken. But biting through it, Edward lifted his head to see what had happened. His blood ran cold at the sight before him.

The midnight black demon with a hundred eyes was gone. In its place stood a man of complete contrast. He was all white, clad in a pale robe. Long albino hair fell down to his shoulders and an equally white beard framed his face. He looked like one of those paintings of god that Edward had seen in a church.

"What...?" Ed whispered, awestruck. Was that the demon?

The male figure turned its head at the sound of Edward's voice. Two familiar red eyes peered down at him.

" **Are you impressed, Edward?** " It was him! It was the same red eyes and chilling, monstrous voice.

Wait! What about Al!

Blood pounding in his brain, Edward tore his eyes away from the demon to look at the ground around it. His eyes widened and the breath caught in his throat. "Alphonse!"

Al was gone.

 **OoO**

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 **OoO**

 **The Present:**

"I can't believe it…the Fullmetal warrior!"

"Edward Elric?"

"He's back!"

"Looks like an animal."

"-was such a sweet child-"

"-killed 80 men by himself I heard."

"Murderer."

Those were just some of the whispers that accompanied Ed as he went into town. Former friends, acquaintances, and old teachers; all who had known him as an ordinary child. Now they looked at him with variations of surprise, awe, or fear. None of these fazed Edward in the slightest. 'Let them whisper.' He thought as he continued pulling the cart through the street. 'Let them gossip. I don't give a shitstained ass about what they think.' Well it wasn't just him who was getting everyone's attention, but the grisly cargo which he pulled.

Behind him on a cart were the five mostly mutilated corpses from the Rockbell estate. Four bandits and one fool who had been at the wrong place at the wrong time. Pitt's death troubled Edward for he did have fond memories of the helpful young man from their youth. However, upon learning how he'd been propositioning Winry; the darker side of Ed was significantly less sympathetic. Not that he'd ever tell Winry that. There were some things he couldn't tell even her.

'But I'll have to. By tonight she'll know that something is different and will want answers.' Ed thought as he neared the center of town with his grisly cargo. A ghost of a smile morphed his ragged features. 'She's always been so perceptive, so smart. Always aware of the suffering of others. Always trying to figure out how she can help them.' For years she'd been his rock; his anchor. Without Winry, he would have floated off into a dark abyss from which the shattered remains of his blackened soul would never have clawed its ways out of.

He couldn't wait to get back to her. Away from all these people and their prying, judging eyes. None of them could have the faintest idea of what he's been through. Nor could they even begin to understand. They occupied a completely different world from him. The only one who could understand him was Winry.

It was only just that morning when he'd returned to find her under attack by bandits. By the will of some unknown power, or just pure luck, Ed had arrived just in time. Being away from Winry now left him feeling anxious. The only reason he'd left her side was to deliver the bodies to Resembool upon her insistence. Pitt was to be handed over for a proper burial while Bald and his thugs were for their hefty reward. Hey, they were going to need all that gold to fix the house up. Plus, it was going to be more expensive providing for two people then it would be for just one.

The local soldiers were mostly a bunch a quivering milksops playing knight. Bald and his goons would have made short work of them. They kept their distance from Edward while the Captain of the Guard dealt with him. This caused Edward to wonder what the Fullmetal warrior's reputation was in his own hometown. Although the captain appeared to be an honest man, he still regarded Ed suspiciously. Nonetheless, Ed got the gold for the bandits and delivered Pitt to the undertaker. Then, still donning his black armor and flowing red cape, the Fullmetal warrior returned to his home.

Home…what an unfamiliar word.

'This is going to take some getting use to.' The tall blonde mused as he tied the hefty bag of gold to his belt. Edward could feel the stares of the townsfolk watching him, but he heeded them no mind. 'I guess they'll just have to get use to-'

 _Creak_

"Son of a mother fucking whore!"

Ed cursed loudly as his left leg suddenly froze up, causing him to stumble. With more vile and colorful obscenities pouring from his mouth, Edward made his way over to a small stone wall and sat down. He quickly unstrapped the metal armor plates covering his leg and pulled up his under clothes to expose more metal.

His automail leg.

Although Winry was excellent at smithing weapons for Ed, her most important contributions were his right arm and left leg. Both limbs were definitely not the prettiest things to look at. Clunky metal plates were screwed together to form the outer layer around the elaborate inner mechanisms. Despite repeated warnings from Winry, Ed was never the best at keeping up with their required maintenance.

'Well, looks like it's catching up to me.' Ed grunted as he tried to move his metal leg. After a generous amount of time flexing his thigh muscles, the gears finally started moving again. A sigh of relief left Ed as the limb began to move again. He did a few practice kicks before standing up. The leg held steady so he started down the path again.

'At least it waited until now to start jamming.' Ed ground his teeth in annoyance. Walking on a faulty leg was fucking irritating yet he could manage. 'Perhaps she'll be more forgiving on account of me saving her life.' Edward chuckled slightly.

It didn't take him too long to get back to the house. This time the sight of it coming into view was more peaceful. That peacefulness left however when he saw the large stains of blood across the grass. Immediately Ed was reminded about what happened only hours before. It wasn't the killing that had bothered him, or Pitt's death. It was the fact that Winry had seen him kill people.

The sound of barking shook Ed from his regretful thoughts. Glancing up, he saw a black and white dog charging him. Dropping to one knee, Ed removed his left gauntlet as Den reached him. "Hey, hey there boy." He smiled slightly as the dog jumped on him and started licking his face. "Yeah, yeah. I missed you too."

Somehow Den had remained quiet in Winry's room during the whole ordeal. Which means that the dog was either really smart, or extremely cowardly.

"He's not the only one." Came an amused voice.

Ed looked up from Den to see Winry exiting the house. She now wore an ankle length blue cotton dress that covered her shoulders and arms. It was tied together in the front by white strings. Winry smiled brightly as she made her way over to him. Her face didn't seem _as_ pale or sunken as earlier, but the fatigue was still there. Her eyes still didn't have the same warmth and love as they had the last time he'd seen her. However, none of that mattered to him, it was still Winry. She would always be beautiful to him.

Ed moved Den off of him and stood to greet his best friend. As he stood though, the gears and cogs in his leg grinded loudly. Upon hearing this sound, Winry froze and narrowed her eyes.

"What's wrong with your leg?" She asked with an slight edge to her voice.

"Bad maintenance." He answered nonchalantly. In his earlier years Ed had been scared of Winry whenever he'd break something. Needless to say, that had been a long time ago. It was hard to be afraid of someone when you stood almost a food taller then them.

Winry's forehead muscles crunched as her face morphed into a scowl. "Of course." She muttered with a slight pout and folded her arms. Personally Ed thought that it made her look adorable, though he'd never say it out loud.

"So how was heading into town?" Winry asked with a small smile after a moment of silence.

Edward simply shrugged. "People seemed surprised to see me."

Winry's smile dipped slightly. "Well…it has been a year since anyone's seen you." An awkward silence fell over them that was only broken by Den's woof. The sound caused Winry to jump and give a nervous laugh. She clasped her hands behind her back and a small blush found its way onto her face.

"Winry?" Ed asked after a moment. She lifted her head and gave a small smile.

"Let's go inside, Edward. You must be exhausted."

 **OoO**

* * *

 **OoO**

Most of the day had past before they'd finished cleaning up the bandits' mess. Ed had done his best to put the demolished pantry back together while Winry washed most of the blood out of the floorboards. In a few days the stain would fade completely, but until then it would stay.

The four bandits' horses were tethered in the smithy until they could figure out what to with them. Winry wanted to sell them in town. But Bald and his men had eaten most of the food so they were going to need all the meat they could get.

'How long has it been since I've eaten some good horse meet?' Ed thought as he watched the horses munching on hay. 'Since my last horse died at least. Shit, how long ago was that? Damn I can't even remember.'

Gone were his black armor and cape, instead Edward wore a grey wool shirt and dark brown trousers. His metal arm was covered by a long leather glove to keep it from getting caught on anything. It felt odd being out of his usual attire, but also rather relaxing.

The sound of creaking floorboards from the kitchen caught his attention and brought a smile to Edward's face. Winry was currently cooking up some tea for them in the fireplace. He had insisted that he was fine, but she had gone ahead and starting making it anyway.

"Once she sets her mind to something, neither heaven or hell will stop her." Edward murmured to the nearby horses, one of whom responded with a _neigh_. Ed chuckled quietly before walking across the smithy towards the exit. Maybe they wouldn't eat those horses after all. The cobblestone room wasn't the best place for horses, but there was enough room and it was safer than outside. After sparing one last glance at the animals, Edward pushed the wooden door open and entered the main house. His left leg was still giving him issues, but it was manageable for now.

The sight he saw was one that he wanted to see every day; Winry smiling. Her body was mostly turned away from him, yet Ed could still see the edges of her upturned lips. The tea had finished boiling and the young blonde was currently pouring it into two cups.

Winry herself seemed to be doing okay, Ed observed. He knew that she was tough, yet it was impossible for him not to worry. The world they lived in was dangerous and unforgiving; this morning being a perfect example.

The blacksmith had finished pouring the tea, but had yet to turn around. A small smirk came across Ed's face when he saw an opportunity. Years of having to learn stealth allowed Edward to cross the kitchen until he was directly behind Winry. Or at least his skills of hopping on one leg. Either way, he then leaned in until his mouth was only inches from her right ear.

"I thought I said no tea."

As expected, Winry gave a startled yelp and whipped around. Her wide eyes narrowed into serpentine slits when she saw him laughing. "Edward! Don't sneak up on me like that." Winry snapped as her cheeks turned a light shade of magenta.

"Sorry Winry, couldn't resist." He grinned sheepishly, automail hand running through his golden hair.

Winry huffed and turned back to the counter. "Well anyway, I thought that you could use some." She turned back, holding out a steaming cup for him. "Apologies for being a considerate friend." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Another chuckle escaped Ed. "You know that I appreciate everything you do for me, Winry." To be nice, he took a sip from the tea cup. It was good, though Ed would have preferred ale.

"I do." Winry returned. "Especially your gold." She joked.

Ed shook his head and took another sip from his tea. "And so the truth floweth forth."

Winry watched from the counter as Ed sat back down in chair. Her own tea cup untouched in her hands. 'I forgot how handsome he looks out of his armor.' She smiled sadly. 'It's really been that long huh?'

A comfortable silence fell over the two friends as they both drank from their cups. Eventually Winry glanced up to see Ed was long finished with his tea, yet he sat in the chair unmoving. The blonde woman's brow creased as she took in the small frown on his face and the far away look in his eyes. 'He must be deep in thought. Probably thinking of some far off land that he's visited or where he plans on going next. A few moments ago Ed was smiling and acting like his old self, but now it's back to the silent loner routine.' A sigh escaped her lips as Winry placed her teacup down. She folded her arms and leaned against the wall behind her, watching Ed. A million questions swirled through her mind: where'd he'd been, what had he been doing, had he found anything...did he meet anyone?

His brief answers wouldn't satisfy her questions, and he'd be off before she could think of better ones.

'This is the first quiet moment since he got back, and all he can think about is being somewhere else.' The words, though spoken only in her thoughts, left a bitter taste in Winry's mouth. No matter how friendly Ed would behave or how relaxed he'd look, he always ended up leaving. Winry's hands clenched into fists. 'But he has to leave. It doesn't matter whether I like it or not. It isn't up to me.'

"Ed?" The word escaped her lips before she even realized it was coming.

Edward's body flinched as he was dragged from his thoughts. He turned his head towards her with a curious and expectant look.

"I…uh." Winry chewed her bottom lip. What did she want to ask him? Hell the real question should be what _doesn't_ she want to ask him? "I…uh…would it be okay if I worked on your leg and whatever else you need tomorrow morning?" Ed frowned at her sudden question.

Winry felt her face heating up as she sputtered out the next words. "I mean…I know that you probably want to head back out soon. You probably have places to be and leads to chase. I don't want to keep you here too long, but considering everything that happened today…"

She'd been expecting an irritated sigh or a roll of his eyes. What she wasn't expecting was the look of anger that came over his face before his tea cup was shattered by the crushing force of his automail fingers. Winry's eyes widened as Ed practically leapt up from the chair, his teeth visibly grinding in his mouth. She took a step back in alarm, stopping when her back hit the wall. For several moments he just stood there, not looking at her but at the floor. His tense body seemed to be vibrating. Winry watched him frozen from her position, hands braced against the wall behind her. Her hands were shaking slightly.

"Sorry." Ed mumbled gruffly after another moment. Keeping his eyes glued to the floor he walked passed Winry towards the door. Edward grabbed his broadsword off the wall and almost cracked the door when he pushed it open. He stormed out of the house and quickly crossed the field; leaving Winry staring after him.

It felt like hours before Winry had the strength to move away from the wall. Her right hand slowly moved to cover her mouth while the other gripped the counter till her knuckles were white.

'What the hell was that?' Winry thought as her body still refused to move. A part of Winry was screaming at herself to run after him. But the rest was too scared to do so.

'Scared? Am I scared of him?' She thought as a barrage of emotions washed over her. 'His eyes. They had such hatred, such loathing!'

Had it been towards her?

 **OoO**

* * *

 **OoO**

 **Later**

Edward spent the rest of the day practicing with his sword play well into the afternoon. Soon the sun was setting behind the mountains, casting the landscape in a dark orange haze. Two hours had passed since he left the house and it felt like a dream to Winry. Everything had been normal then suddenly he'd stormed out in a rage. This wasn't the first time Ed had exploded like this, but something was different about him.

"Was it something I said?" Winry asked, before turning to look at Den. The black and white dog merely stared back at her. Winry held her pup's eyes before gazing back out at the field. In the distance she could see the tall figure of Ed. He was standing very erect, the dimming sun glimmering off his sword and metal arm.

"Who knows what happened to him while he was gone." She spoke before hanging her head. If anyone had any right to be angry at the world, it was Ed. "God, why am I so selfish. Telling Ed to wait like that." Den cocked his head to the side and trotted over to Winry. He sniffed her hand before nudging it with his wet nose. A quiet chuckle left Winry as she scratched Den behind the ear. Glancing out the nearby window, she watched her closest friend practice his swordplay.

As a small child, Ed had liked playing knight. He'd pick up a stick and wave it around; proclaiming it his mighty sword. Now Ed was a grown man. He wielded an actual sword with a precision and skill that was almost inhuman. Despite his height and muscular body, Ed was faster than any warrior she'd ever seen.

"Not that I've seen many other warriors in my life." Winry murmured as she watched Ed slash and cut through the air. He used his sword like how a painter would use a paint brush. Each movement skillful and calculated.

Hours later Ed was still outside, but had stopped swinging his sword around a while ago. He was currently sitting crossed legged on the grass. His sword was discarded off to the side, as was his shirt which he had profusely sweated through. It had gotten colder, yet Ed didn't really notice. His thoughts were on what he was going to do now.

'I'm going to tell her now. It's time.' Ed thought with a sigh. His right arm came up in front of his face. His eyes traveled over its weathered and scratched metal surface. The wear and tear of his life on the road was perfectly reflected on his automail hand. "My body isn't much better." Ed laughed humorlessly as he glanced down at the zigzag of scars, burns, whip lashes, and unwanted tattoos. All of these and his automail limbs were the fruit of his nine year quest. His only reward for his years of suffering.

The sun had set and the moon was rising in the sky. Glancing at the Rockbell house, the glow from the upper floor meant that Winry had retired to her room. A pang of guilt rang in his stomach as he recalled how'd just stormed out. No doubt she thought his anger was towards her when in reality that couldn't be farther from the truth.

Ed slipped on the leather arm cover before grabbing his sword and shirt and rising to his feet. It was time.

Edward crossed the grass field and entered the house. He propped his sword against the wall and tossed his shirt on the table. Not giving them a second glance, Ed made his way to the stairs and ascended.

Winry had changed into a white, silk nightgown and was preparing for bed when she heard Ed enter the house. 'I hope he sees the dinner that I left on the table.' She thought as she heard him moving around the kitchen.

But to her surprise, Ed's mismatched footsteps seemed to get louder until she realized that he was climbing the stairs. 'He's coming up?' Winry felt her body tense slightly as she sat on the bed. 'Why is he-'

The door to her room was pushed open, snapping Winry from her thoughts. The two candles on the nearby drawer cast shadows over Ed's frame as he stepped into the room. Despite the limited visibility, his golden eyes cut through the darkness as they zeroed in on her. Upon seeing her, Edward halted in his steps. Winry felt her body tense and a gasp left her lips as she took him in. He was shirtless, his muscular arm and chiseled chest on full display. This was a familiar sight to Winry, but something about this time was different.

For a moment Ed merely stared at her with a almost…desperate look. Whatever it was, his stare caused an embarrassed blush on her cheeks. 'What the hell?' Winry thought before Ed spoke.

"We need to talk." His voice was serious, almost sad. Immediately, Winry's thoughts left her mind as she realized that this was important. Whatever had been bothering him earlier, Ed was now ready to talk about. "Um…okay. Sit down, let's talk here." Winry stuttered out as she patted the empty side of the bed.

Ed's eyes darted from the bed to her then back to the bed several times before he shifted awkwardly. 'Come on you shit.' He cursed inwardly. 'Just ignore the fact that we're in her bedroom...damn she looks so beautiful in this light.'

Winry watched his hesitation with a frown. "Ed?" She asked, rising to her feet. "Edward?"

Ed seemed to jump at her words, which caused Winry's frown to deepen. 'Why is he so jumpy? He's never like this.'

Edward quickly regained his composure and with a heavy sigh crossed the room to her bed. Winry remained standing as she watching his sit down on the opposite side, facing away from her. A part of her wanted to go to him, to wrap him in her arms and hold him close. But she knew Ed probably wouldn't respond too well to that. Instead she stood simply there, patiently waiting for Ed to speak.

"I'm sorry about earlier." He mumbled.

"It's alright Ed." Winry offered.

Edward's head whipped around so fast, she was afraid it'd fly off. "No it isn't." He practically snarled. His face then softened as they took her in and his tone turned mournful. "I could have lost you today." He whispered in a shaky, almost tearful voice. Another small gasp left her as his words caused her heart to skip a beat. Despite the circumstance her thoughts turned back to Pitt's accusation that Ed only thought of her as a blacksmith. Well, it appears that wasn't the case.

Winry made her way around the mattress and sat down on Ed's right. She had to tilt her head up in order to look at his eyes. "But you didn't, you saved me Ed." She said in a soft voice. Her hands went to his automail one, which was covered by that leather glove she had made.

"But what if I hadn't?" He spoke solemnly. "If I hadn't come back, I'd have never known if…" Ed trailed off and bowed his head in shame. Winry bit her lower lip and turned his head to face her. Concerned azure locked onto hallowed gold.

"I've been gone for a year, Winry. I left you alone for a fucking year." His words filled with self-loathing. "I've been back for hours, yet you haven't asked me anything. Where I've been; what I've been doing; how long am I going to stay; have I found anything?" Golden amber flashed a shade darker before boring into Winry's deep blue ones. "Why?"

Winry swallowed and anxiously fiddled with a strand of her her blonde hair. "I uh…I didn't want to overwhelm you. I was going to wait until you had time to settle down then interrogate you." She finished with a chuckle that fell on deaf ears. Ed gazed at her intently before turning to look out her window. Winry slowly followed his gaze and saw that he was staring at a distant hill. Although unseen in the dark, the stone foundations of a house could be found there.

"Do you remember how she'd light those lanterns in the top window?" Ed murmured. "You always had a perfect view of them from here."

Winry nodded. "I do…Ed what is this about?"

He ignored her question and kept staring. "This is where you saw _the_ lights, wasn't it?"

Winry's right hand gripped the sheets underneath her. She knew which lights he was referring to. But why was he talking about…that night.

"At first, what did you think they were?" He asked. They'd had this conversation before, he knew the answer. Yet he still asked and she still answered.

"I…I didn't know. I knew that you two had been reading those books and…performing spells. I thought that you were making a chair or something like that. " Winry spoke carefully.

Ed gave a humorless laugh, devoid of all emotion. "And then the screaming started." It was a statement not a question.

"Ed, don't do this." Winry whispered as she released the grip on her bedsheets and cupped his face. "Don't think about that night. It'll just bring you pain."

Ed's left hand came up and encased one of her smaller ones. His right hand stayed motionless by his side. "You're right." He murmured thoughtfully. "You've always been right Winry. You've always known what was best for me."

"Ed, I haven't-"

He kept speaking, his eyes never leaving hers. "You've always supported me. Despite all the pain I've caused you over the years, you've stuck by me. Winry...you don't know much I've come to rely on you. And I'm not talking about any damn automail or weapons. I'm talking about _you_."

Winry was pretty sure all the air had left her lungs. Over the years Ed had thanked her and praised her work. But to hear him speak about her in such a way was causing long buried feelings to surface.

Suddenly, Edward was the one cupping her face. Winry gasped as his large hands encased her cheek. The glove on his right hand rubbed roughly against her skin, yet Winry didn't even notice it was there. His golden eyes had hypnotised her, trapping her in their heavenly gaze.

"Ed?" Winry whispered nervously. His eyes glazed over with a trembling gaze.

"You're so...beautiful." Ed spoke before closing the gap between their mouths. It took Winry's frazzled mind several seconds to realize that he was kissing her.

His lips were dry and a little cracked as they moved against hers. A light stubble was scattered across his chin and scratched her face. Yet the sensation of his mouth on hers was incredible. But just as soon as he'd started, Ed violently pulled back and pushed himself away from her. Turning his body towards the wall, Ed buried his head in his hands.

Winry was too stunned to move or speak. Her arms were frozen in mid air, her mouth wide open. 'He kissed me!' A voice from a far off land shouted. Winry's hand slowly came up to touch her lips. His kiss had been surprisingly soft, yet so brief. As her senses came back to her, Winry saw Ed's shoulders shaking.

"Ed?" She whispered unsurely. Upon getting no response from him, Winry reached out and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. Ed tensed under her touch, but gave no reply. Biting her lip nervously, Winry got off the bed and kneeled down in front of Ed.

"Edward, what is it?" Winry asked in a shaking voice as she pulled Ed's hands from his face.

The golden haired man kept his head bowed, wallowing in his shame. Winry started to feel fear creep into her. She'd never seen Ed in such a broken state like this. Not since the incident so many years ago.

"What happened to you?" Winry whispered softly.

"I failed, Winry."

"What?"

Ed's eyes shot up to stare hauntingly into her face. Winry heard herself gasp at intensity and sadness of his gaze. "It's over Winry, I'm done. I've come back for good."

The crickets were chirping loudly outside.

"What?" Winry gasped, her voice and face riddled with confusion. "What do you mean, Ed? I don't understand!"

For a second, it looked as if Ed would explode at her. But instead his voice came out barely above a whisper. "My quest is over. I've failed…I failed you…and Alphonse."

Winry's heart was beating so loudly in chest, it threatened to shatter her ribs. Anxiety crept into her voice. "What do you mean? Tell me what happened, Ed! What happened in the last year?"

For the longest time Ed stared at her. "I found _him_ , Winry. I finally tracked him down."

Winry's throat went dry as dread pooled in her stomach. "The demon?"

Ed nodded merely nodded.

"You did! Wha…w-where?"

Ed's lips almost morphed into a sad smile. "The ancient ruins of Xerxes, ironically. The bastard was actually waiting for me there."

A shiver ran through Winry as she imagined him. "And?" She asked nervously.

Ed gritted his teeth and glanced back out the window. His eyes locked onto the burned foundations of his childhood house. "I demanded that he give Al back."

Winry waited in bated breath for Ed to continue.

"But…he started laughing. Like it was the funniest goddamn thing he had ever heard." Ed ground out. "Th-then the fucker told me that he didn't have Alphonse."

Winry felt the breath leave her. "What?" She gasped.

Small tremors racked Ed's body as he turned to look at Winry with tearful eyes. "That night…nine years ago. He didn't take Al with him." He paused as a choked gasp escaped through him. "Al's gone."

Her hands dropped from his as Winry nearly toppled back. "No…no…I don't believe it." She murmured. "You saw Al disappear. He took him!"

"I guess that's what I thought I saw." Ed asked, in a bitter voice. "I've been telling myself for nine years that I could bring my brother home. But Al's dead. There's no bringing him back."

Dead silence filled the room as Winry stared at Ed in shock. Her lips trembled as weak attempts at speaking stuttered from her. Seeing the pain so clear on her face caused guilt to stab into Edward deeper than any blade. He could see it, the hope, it was leaving her eyes. He was taking it from her.

"No, you…it….oh god." Winry couldn't hold herself up anymore and fell back onto the ground, not that she even noticed. Al was gone. No, that was impossible!

Winry raised her head from her position on the floor, refusing to believe it. However, all thoughts of protesting died when she saw Ed. He merely sat there, looking 30 years older than 19. Suddenly it clicked that Ed believed it. He believed that Alphonse was gone. And that could mean one thing. That it was true.

"No…" Winry whispered as tears blurred her vision. Ed raised his head upon hearing her quiet sobs. His face softened at the sight of her, but he remained where he was. The shame and guilt overwhelming his desire to comfort Winry.

It seemed like hours went by before one of them spoke. "W-what happened next?" Winry asked between dry heaves.

Ed's eyes were back on the window. "I killed him." A ghostly smirk of satisfaction ghosted across his face before vanishing. "I went to our former teacher in Dublith, Izumi Curtis. She enchanted my sword so that it could hurt him. We fought. Eventually I had the fucker impaled and helpless. But the bastard started laughing. He said, 'you can't recover what is forever lost'."

"What if he was lying!" Winry blurted out as tears started streaming from her eyes. "There could still be a way to get Al back!"

"He wasn't."

"How can-"

"He wasn't fucking lying!" Ed roared as he stood up from the bed. He began pacing towards the window while Winry watched helpless from the floor. "I just…I just knew. I guess a part of me always knew that I've been chasing a ghost for years."

There was nothing Winry could do but watch him.

"Maybe you're right." Ed murmured after a long silence. "Maybe there is some other way to get Al back. But I…I couldn't find it." He trailed off before slowly making his way back to the bed. "I can't do it anymore Winry. I'm tired."

"And so you've come back?" She asked in a whisper.

He nod was slow and grim. "Nine years. I looked for him for nine years and couldn't find a way to bring him back. My own little brother. Even when it…" Ed's voice was thick with emotion as he trailed off, leaving the words unsaid.

" _Even when it was all my fault."_

The ache in her chest was too much as Winry saw the self loathing in his eyes. Even after so many years, he still blamed himself for what happened. No matter how many times Winry had told him otherwise, Ed still insisted that the ritual had been his idea and his alone.

"Besides, the demon is dead." He muttered before falling back on the bed. "I was the one who summoned him so I had be the one to destroy him. I fulfilled that promise." Ed paused as a long sigh escaped him.

"But I failed Alphonse."

 **OoO**

* * *

 **OoO**

Outside the wind was picking up again, the pitter patter of rain was on the rain. Another storm had started.

Inside the two best friends were motionless, Ed on the bed and Winry on the floor. Neither had spoken or moved since Ed's confession. Eventually distant thunder caused Winry to raise her head. Her eyes going to the figure laying on her bed.

Edward was staring up at the ceiling, his eyes almost unblinking. Winry stared at him long and hard, her eyes slowly traveling over his worn body. The glistening metal limbs drew forth memories of Ed arriving home with bloody stumps. He'd lost his leg during the second year to an infected wound, his arm three years later to a sudden bear attack.

'He's lost so much.' Winry though before panic seized her like a hawk ensnaring its prey. 'And he thinks it's all been for nothing. He's giving up.'

But not just on his quest.

Al had been her friend too, the little brother she never had. His vanishing had struck her hard, and that pain was quickly followed by Edward leaving. The next nine years of her life had become centered around one thing, Ed's mission. She became the best blacksmith that she could, surpassed even her own grandmother. Edward needed the best blacksmith, so that's what she became. Years of hard work and mastering her craft to give him the best. Her life had revolved around waiting for Ed's visits and trying to think of new ways to help him. But now it was over. For both of them.

'What do we do now?' Winry thought miserably. It was like her life had lost its purpose. 'What should _I_ do now?'

The creaking of the bed caught her attention and Winry saw Ed sitting up. Her eyes widened in realization. 'I have him, and he has me.' After all these years, they'd lost everyone. Ed's father had left when he was a baby, his mother died to an illness. She'd lost her parents and grandmother. Now Al was officially gone and it was just the two of them left.

But whatever pain Winry was feeling was nothing compared to how Ed was no doubt suffering. 'It must be unbearable.' She had to take away that pain, somehow she had to ease his suffering. He needed a lifeline to save him, something to grab onto. Something that would never let go of him.

Quickly, Winry moved so that she was kneeling in front of Ed again. His clouded eyes focused on her, but he said nothing.

"You didn't fail, Edward."

At first he looked furious, angry enough to strike her almost. Winry's eyes widened a little. "Didn't fail!" But then his face sunk as the depression overwhelmed the fury. "Winry…I failed Al."

"How did you fail him?" Winry spoke softly as she grasped his hands in her own.

"You know how." Ed scoffed. "I promised you that I would bring him home. I failed you both."

"You didn't fail me Ed." Winry whispered, pulling his hands close enough that he could feel her beating heart. "And it wasn't all not nothing."

Ed opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off. "Remember Youswell, you told me about how that town was controlled by some greedy little shit of a lord. Do you remember what you did? You freed those people from him. You helped them."

"I was just passing throu-"

"Liore!" Winry cut him off, sitting up higher. "You heard about a priest performing miracles and bringing the dead back to life. But it was only a man using illusions. You exposed him for the fraud he was. If it wasn't for you Ed, the people of Liore would still be part of a brainwashed cult."

Ed stared silently at her as she talked.

"And let's not forget that serial killer in the East who you killed. They called him the Chopper. How many more innocent people would have been butchered if you hadn't stopped him? After that you saved all those Ishvalans from being slaughtered by those mercenaries two years ago too. And then there's that incident in Milos, you saved the entire village from being destroyed by a blood lusting madman." Winry stared into his golden eyes, daring Ed to question her.

"Don't you see Ed. You're not a failure. Thousands of people owe their lives _to you_ , the Fullmetal warrior. These last nine years have been hell for you, yet you still found the time to help those in need. You are a good person Edward. You're the best person I know." Winry spoke from the deepest part of her heart. Pitt had said that Ed had changed, that he wasn't the same. Edward had indeed changed, but not for the worst. He'd transformed into the most selfless, determined, and loving man that Winry had ever known. He didn't always show those traits, but Winry knew where to look for them.

Ed's eyes were wide, a barrage of emotions swirled in them. His metal and flesh hands were clenched tightly in her grip. "But Al-"

"You never gave up. Not once in nine years did you ever give up on him. No matter what everyone said, you never gave up hope. Ed, never in my life have I seen someone love another person like how you loved Al. Anyone else would have given up, but not you Edward." Winry's hands cupped his face in her hands. "You dedicated your life to finding him; traveling to the ends of the earth. You gave up an arm and a leg trying to bring him home. Most people would have given up by then, but you loved Al too much. You refused to give up hope. No other man alive could be that strong."

Ed's eyes was staring into hers with a look that could almost be described as desperation. Winry suddenly felt slight nervousness grow in the pit of her stomach at his gaze. He was looking at her like she was the only thing still holding him together. Winry's breath caught slightly as she realized that at this moment she was.

"You did everything you could. You gave it your all. If Al is watching right now, and I'm sure he is, he wouldn't be ashamed of you. He would know that you loved him, more than any brother in this whole damn world. Al would be so proud of you Ed." Winry paused to press her forehead against his. Ed let out a quiet sigh and Winry was shocked to feel him trembling. "I know that I'm proud of you, Edward. I am so, so proud of you."

Ed's eyes suddenly shot open and Winry was stunned at the fire burning in his eyes. In a split second, flesh and gloved metal hands gripped her sides and hauled her onto his lap. Winry yelped in surprise as she found herself straddling Ed's lap while his hands gripped her tightly.

"What…Mmpphh!" Winry gasped as Ed covered her mouth with his. His tongue swiftly pushed past her open lips and plunged into her mouth. Winry's eyes widened while her body ceased all motor functions. The conscious part of Ed did note her lack of responsiveness, but the rest didn't care. The darker, instinct driven side screamed at him to keep going; to claim this woman and make her his. Edward's conscious didn't need to worry for too long as soon enough Winry started kissing him back. Ed pulled Winry closer till there was no space left between their rapidly heating bodies.

The coiling warm sensation in Winry's stomach had now turned into a furnace; sending burning ecstasy shooting through her. It felt like her whole body was on fire. 'He's kissing me again!' Winry's brain struggled to keep up as his tongue starting dancing aggressively with hers. He was taking them down a path, and she was struggling to keep up. Dear god, his mouth tasted so good!

Eventually air became an issue and the two broke apart to stare into each other's eyes. Both red faced and chests' panting; their eyes asked what words could not. Simultaneously they lunged back at each other, their lips reconnecting. Now that Winry's mind was less foggy, she kissed him back with everything she had. The animalistic growl that came from Ed signaled his approval. As their passionate embrace got more heated so did their wandering hands. Ed's hands left her sides and started exploring her body. They were everywhere; running over her back, thighs, and ass. His skillful fingers teased and touched every nerve, setting her skin afire. Winry briefly broke the kiss to gasp when his hands rested firmly on her bottom. He squeezed the flesh there; making her moan quietly.

Due to the movements of his hands, Winry's nightgown had bunched up around her hips. Her now bare center was right over his growing arousal. Even through the layer of his trousers, Ed could feel the heat radiating from her.

Fuck, Ed wanted her! He wanted her so bad that he didn't know if he could survive the night without having her. A deep groan emerged from the back of his throat as he realized this, the sound sending pleasant shivers down Winry's spine.

"Winry...please." He said almost desperately in between fervent kisses. "I need you." He knew that she had never been with a man and thus the severity of what he was asking. But at moment Ed was so beyond rational thought that he didn't care.

Winry's heart skipped a beat at his words. He hadn't said that he wanted her, but that he _needed_ her. Wants were superficial, you could live without them. But needs were essential. Right now she was essential for Ed.

Winry wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in till only millimeters separated their lips. "Then take me." She whispered.

A shudder passed through Ed's body as he went completely rigid. Winry frowned and was about to ask if he was okay when Edward moved.

"Ah!" Winry cried out as Ed flipped them over and practically slammed her down onto the bed. For a few moments he simply stared down at her with an inferno burning in his eyes. Winry stared back up at him, her cheeks pink and arms resting next to her head. Suddenly his powerful body lunged forward and his mouth practically clamped down on her neck. Loud pants flowed from Winry's mouth as Ed devoured her soft flesh. He nibbled, sucked, and licked a path up and down her sensitive throat. After leaving several love bites upon the pale skin, Ed pulled back to loom over her. His muscular body was so much bigger, completely dwarfing her smaller one. But instead of feeling intimidated, it only aroused Winry even more.

"Last chance, Winry." He rasped out huskily. "Do you really want this? Because I don't know if I can stop."

Winry's answer was to wrap her willowy legs around his waist and pull his pelvis into the hot cradle of her thighs. This sudden action caused Ed to grunt before growling again as he kissed her hungrily.

"Please Ed…I need this." Winry gasped out in between desperate kisses. "I need you."

Ed was beyond any rational thought, beyond caring of the consequences. All he could feel, see, smell, and think about was the beautiful woman beneath him. Every movement of her soft lips, every touch from her hands seemed to draw more and more of his pain away. She was sweet medicine, draining all the guilt and agony from his battered body.

There was no gentleness, no sweet touches, or romance as Ed pulled back and ripped the nightgown from Winry's body. The stitches snapped loudly and the cloth tore as her nakedness was exposed to him. Winry gasped as cold air suddenly hit her scorching skin. Self consciously she covered her bare breasts before glancing up to see Ed's heated expression. He was as still as a statue, his eyes boring down at her. His gaze caused Winry to squirm; he was staring at her like a starving man being offered a banquet.

His piecing state caused the still coherent part of Winry's brain to frown. Why was he looking at her like this? Was it because she was too thin and masculine? Was it the dark shadows under her eyes? Despite all of those self imagined negatives, he was staring at her like she was the most desirable creature in the world.

"You're so fucking beautiful." Ed practically groaned before pouncing on her. Immediately all thoughts about the validity of her attractiveness evaporated. His hungry mouth once again latched onto her neck while his hands sought out and squeezed her breasts.

"Winry." Edward ground out as he once again feasted on her flesh. "I can't…I can't hold back." His paused his frantic kisses to look her in the eye. "Fuck. I can't promise that I'll be gentle."

The concern burning in his eyes made her stomach do a somersault. Smiling up at him, Winry brought her hands up to cup his face. During this brief pause, she took the time to fully examine him.

As a kid Edward had always been short and rather lanky for his age. But now, he was beautiful. After the horrible incident nine years ago, Ed swore off ever using magic again. This meant that he had to rely on his strength and skill to survive. Years of rigorous training, exercising, and pushing his body to its limit resulted in his current mouthwatering physique. Thick, chiseled muscles that rippled with every movement he made. If there was ever a man who had been carved by angels, surely it was the one before her. His perfect body was littered with dozens of scars. She used to hate them, but now Winry felt the urge to trace each and every one of them.

Most women probably wouldn't consider Edward to be handsome in the normal sense. His once boyish features had grown rather sunken and older beyond his years. There was a large scar that ran horizontal above his right eye. Another smaller one, caused by flames, was on the left side of his chin. He was unshaven and unkempt with his facial hair. Despite how worn his face was, Winry could still see traces of the young man she loved.

"It's okay Ed." Winry whispered. "I trust you."

If Ed needed a lifeline, she'd be that lifeline. If Edward needed release, a way to let go; then she'd be that for him. Anything to relieve his suffering.

Using his knees, he nudged her thighs until she was wide open for him. Edward then settled himself between her legs. Using his flesh hand, he tested her lower lips and felt how ready she was for him. Ed still hesitated, looking at Winry for a final confirmation. She nodded her consent.

And then he was inside her.

It hurt at first. She knew it would hurt. But the pain didn't last for long, and soon Winry began to feel another sensation building up inside her.

Edward's larger frame cradled hers as he continued to slowly move above her. "Winry." He murmured her name lovingly as he peppered her face and neck with soft kisses. His hands sought out her breasts, seeking to distract her from any lingering ache. Soon all both of them could feel was the pleasure burning through their bodies.

Winry was in heaven. No other phrase could describe the blissful havoc that Edward was wreaking on her body. Every movement, every touch set her skin aflame. Winry's moans and whimpers filled the air, alongside the occasional primal grunt from the man above her. All Winry could do was grip unto her lover as if her very life depended on it.

Soon enough the fire within Winry grew until it could no longer be contained.

"Don't look away." Ed whispered hoarsely, cupping her face gently. He too was approaching the great precipice, but Edward was determined to bring her with him. Winry whimpered in response to his command before she let out her loudest scream yet. Her body shuddered and bucked powerfully as her orgasm overtook her. Winry's climax finally sent him spiralling towards his own. Burning hot ecstasy shot through Edward as all the pain, suffering, and heartache of the last nine years was seemingly purged from him. He grunted and moved within her several more times until he finally finished. A drawn out gasp escaped his lips before the Fullmetal warrior collapsed onto the bed. For an untold amount of time, the two of them lay there naked and panting.

"Ed-ward…" Winry gasped, sounding exhausted. Her sweat drenched blond hair was a mess, completely obscuring her beautiful face from his view. Ed lifted his head in order get a better look at her. Brushing her hair to the side, he pulled her boneless body closer until Winry was draped over his chest. "I love you Winry. Dear god, I love you." He whispered softly.

"I love you too Ed, so much." Winry mumbled sleepily into his neck. His familiar scent filled her nostrils, causing Winry to relax further into his embrace. Both of them could feel the drowsiness of sleep starting to dull their senses. Soon they were asleep in each other's arms, truly safe and secure for the first time in years.

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 **The language used for Edward's spell was Arabic. Here is the translation is you're curious (note, I used Google Translate so it may not be 100% accurate):**

 ** _انصرف:_ Leave!**

 ** _بواسطة الصوفي الفنون القديمة بيغون_.: By the Ancient Mystic arts!**

 **The next part should be out soon. Please Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**BuggyNess:** I think that we can all agree that Ed wouldn't get anywhere without Winry, especially in this story. Its good to here that I didn't screw up the lemon scene. For this story I knew that there needed to be some sort of resolution to Ed and Winry's feelings for each other. I think that if you write a lemon into a story, it needs to serve a purpose. For The Storm it was a way for Winry to help keep Ed from falling apart emotionally and for him to let go of the pain. Plus the two of them deserve a little fun.

 **Pepin-Bones:** I was originally going to use Latin as the spell words, but decided that Arabic would look better. I'm glad to hear that this chapter was emotional, out of the three parts it was the hardest to write. I was a little concerned that it might be too much feels to throw into a short story. Thank you for the review.

 **Vhosek:** Burn the house down huh? I guess I'm better at writing lemons then I thought. One thing that I do regret about my old story Princess Bride is that I (in my opinion) made the love scenes too explicit. Actually if you reread Princess Bride you'll notice that I've gone back and toned those scene down. With the Storm I wanted to focus more on the emotions of the scene instead of the physical acts. I'm glad that you enjoyed this chapter, its defiantly my favorite of the three.

 **This chapter will be the finale of this story. Thank you to all those who have, read, followed, or reviewed it.**

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 **One year earlier; the ruins of Xerxes:**

In all of the years that he'd been on the road, never before had his travels brought him here.

Xerxes, the legendary city that demons had supposedly laid waste to centuries ago. The ancient stories say that they completely destroyed the entire civilization in a single night. Supposedly there were no survivors and the ghost city was now an empty shell of its former self. When Ed was younger he'd thought it was a simple story that parents tell their children at bedtime. After all, demons weren't real but made up stories to frighten kids. But now, after meeting a demon of his own, he now believed those stories to be true.

Edward Elric tightened the grip on his weapon as he moved further into the ancient city. The giant broadsword was at the ready for whatever lurked in these ruins. Besides the greatsword he'd also brought his rapid fire crossbow, 50 arrows, a few knives, as well as some surprises in his satchel. All of which had been created by his trusty blacksmith.

'Winry.' He thought her name almost mournfully. Would he ever see her again? If this didn't work, he feared that he never would. 'How long would she wait until she'd realize that I wasn't coming back. Years?' The thought of her forever waiting for him in vain caused a painful ache in Edward's lower stomach. He couldn't bare the thought of the pain that his eternal absence would cause her.

She was his longest lasting friend. Hell, she was one of the few friends he had even left. For nine years Edward had pushed everyone close to him away and had burnt almost every bridge. All except for Winry. His stubborn, strong-willed, and beautiful Winry. It had taken him a few years, but he eventually realized that his feelings for the blonde blacksmith were more than platonic. Her face was what he wanted to fall asleep next to every night, and see every morning. He wanted to take her in his arms and never let go. However, given the length and severity of his quest, Ed found himself unable to tell her.

No! Edward couldn't think of her. Not at a time like this. He had to keep a steady mind. Thoughts of Winry would just distract him. This was the moment he'd been waiting all of these last nine years for. The moment he'd dreamed about again and again.

His vengeance.

As Edward passed through what appeared to be the ruins of some sort of church, he heard the sounds of approaching footsteps. The Fullmetal warrior came to a halt. Both hands gripped the sturdy handle of his sword. 'Is it him?' He thought as the sounds only got louder and faster. No, they were too loud and rapid. It sounded like some kind of animal with clawed feet. The echo of hoofs also drew near.

Edward's body moved into a fighting stance. His legs crouched, ready to move in an instant. Suddenly the echoing steps stopped and a shadow passed over him from behind. Without a moment's hesitation Ed whipped around, swinging the sword at whatever was pouncing. He only got a brief look at the creature above him before his weapon cut through it like a knife through butter.

A shrill, animalistic cry briefly pierced the air before two bleeding chunks of flesh slammed into the stone floor. Edward kept his sword in front of him, his eyes scanning the area for a second attack before sparing a glance at the monster before him.

It was a chimera. A grotesque crime against nature. Edward had encountered many of them on his travels, for the monster he hunted was their creator. This particular creature had the head and front legs of a lion, but the body of a tiger, and the back legs of a horse. It's tail was that of a snake. Now the creature lay eviscerated and twitching on the floor, Ed had sliced it completely in half.

" **I can see that you got my message, Edward.** "

That voice! He'd spent the last nine years waiting to hear that damned voice again. Despite the urgency, Edward was slow and careful when he turned to face his quarry.

" **Yes, I knew it was you who was hunting me. I've heard all about your adventures over the years. The Fullmetal** **warrior."** The sound of laughter bounced off the stone walls. **"They said this wanderer had golden eyes and hair and I thought, no it couldn't be that little boy from Resembool. Yet here you are, no longer a boy**."

The demon hadn't changed a bit over the last nine years. He was still clad in a heavenly white robe, his beard and features still angelic in their appearance. Yet despite those rather holy physical attributes, the creature beneath them was the devil himself. Those two crimson eyes still flowed with the red fires of hell.

"Yes." Ed grunted in response to the demon's previous statement. His eyes were two swirling pools of fury. "A destroyed village is quite the attention catcher." He spat the words with venom.

" **Wasn't it beautiful? I wish you had been there to hear them scream in utter agony. I've never heard anything like it before, and I've witnessed countless suffering over these last few years. It was fascinating to watch their skin distort and crack like plaster.** " The pale man spoke with a small smile. " **It took most of them about five very, very slow days to die.** "

Edward gave a growl, his heart was beating loudly due to the amount of hatred he felt towards this monster. "They were innocents. Men, women, and children. Five hundred and sixty three people. What did you gain from wiping them out?"

The pale man cocked his head to the side. " **What did I gain? After all this time must you really ask that silly question, Edward? Surely you should know I did it for my own amusement. And also to let you know where I'd be next. I'm assuming young Lujon told you to come here.** "

Ed's grip on the sword tightened. Lujon had been a young man, and the only survivor of the plague that the demon had unleashed upon the village. It had been one of the most grotesque sights that Edward had ever come across. There had been hundreds of hideous bodies littering the streets. Every inch of their skin was grey, twisted, and hard as stone. Not all of the deaths were from the plague though. In a few houses, Edward found the remains of babies who had starved to death without their parents to feed them. His search through the ghost town ended with him finding Lujon in the town square. The poor man was barely alive, half of his body was infected and grey. The man's pain had been unbearable and he begged Edward to end it. But not before giving Ed the pale man's message.

'And here I am.' Edward maintained his glare at the unholy creature. "To be honest, I'm honestly surprised to find you here. I'd thought you'd still be running like the cowardly cunt you are.

" **Cunt?** " He cocked his head to the side. " **Why do you humans always resort to such childish and vulgar name calling. Bastard, bitch, cocksucker, fucker. Are you trying to hurt my feelings?** "

Ed couldn't help the grin that appeared on his face. "Obviously I have, if you've finally decided to stop running. What's a matter, gotten lazy?"

The pale figure stepped forward, his robe seeming to flow around him. " **To be honest, yes. This game of ours has been fun, but I'm starting to grow weary. There are far better ways in which I could concentrate my time on this mortal plane.** "

Edward's grin faded. The time for humor was over. The demon had stopped running and called him here, it could only be for one reason. Only one of them was walking out of here alive.

The demon's smile left his quartz colored face and a neutral look took over. " **Please Edward, don't look so tense.** " He then walked over to a fallen stone pillar and sat down. " **There's no reason why we can't sit and talk like reasonable men before we try to kill each other like animals. You have indeed come to kill me, have you not?** "

"I did." Ed's eyes never left his gaze.

The corners of the pale demon's lips twitched. " **No doubt you will try your best. But perhaps you should stop and think about this for a moment, Edward. You've been chasing after me for many years. In that time you've seen what I've done, what I'm capable of. The chances of a mere human such as yourself defeating me is quite improbable. Do you really wish to still fight me with the odds stacked so highly against you?** "

To be honest, Ed didn't know if he could beat the monster in front of him. The amount of lives lost to this creature over the last nine years were beyond counting. He had created abominations like the chimeras. He'd made twisted deals with weak willed humans only to stab them in the back. He'd slaughtered entire villages just for his own amusement. The worst offense was the war that the demon had orchestrated between the kingdom of Amestris and the neighboring province of Ishval. He had possessed an Amestrian soldier and forced him to kill an Ishvalan child. The following conflict had resulted in the near massacre of the entire Ishvalan population. Edward had given up trying to figure why the demon committed these horrible acts a long time ago. It appeared he simply enjoyed manipulating humans and causing as much chaos as possible.

For nine years Ed had followed a trail of death, mutilation, suffering, and pain. All of which had led to this moment at the edge of the world.

"It doesn't matter what I _wish_ to happen. I summoned you, demon. I brought you into this world, so it's my responsibility to destroy you or die trying in the process."

" **Very dramatic.** " The demon chuckled. " **Surely you didn't come all this way just to get revenge?** "

Ed kept any flicker of emotion off his face. "No, it isn't." His heart was beating wildly in his chest. This was it, the moment of truth. For nine years he'd been hunting the demon. For nine years he'd been searching for not only him, but an answer to the question that haunted Edward day and night.

" **Let me guess. You're also here for your brother**?" White lips curled into a grin.

Edward's features darkened, his face twisting into a mask of rage. "Give him back!"

For a long moment the demon stared at him, seemingly incredulously. Eventually a chuckle escaped him, it quickly turned into a laugh. " **You want your brother**?" He asked.

"Give him back, demon!" Ed pointed the sword right at the bastard's heart.

The pale man shook his head. " **Are you truly this naive, or have you just been lying to yourself all these years?** "

"What are you talking about?" Ed growled as the cold knife of dread cut through him. 'Does that mean that Izumi was right? No, it can't be. He can't be gone just like that!' But Ed already knew. A part of him had always known, but the rest of him had simply refused to admit it.

" **Tsk tsk. So ignorant**." The demon sighed. " **Though I do understand your persistence. How could you live with yourself if you didn't at least try?"** The pale man shook his head before continuing. " **When I took your brother I consumed him, body and soul. All of his thoughts, muscles, and spirit became a part of me. Within my being are the souls of countless mortals who've I've consumed over the years. Thousands, perhaps millions. Men, women, and children alike. I've consumed them all! Nothing remains of their existence but small specs of energy. That is all your brother is now, do you want that back**?"

The demon raised his right hand. Red electricity crackles from it before a small tear drop sized white orb emerged. For a mere moment, the small orb of light hovered above his palm before it evaporated in the wind.

" **Oops**." The demon chuckled. " **It appears that I've lost him.** "

Blood was pounding in Ed's head as he body practically shook from the rage boiling inside of him. All of the pain, the suffering; it was building to this moment. His vision had gone bright red.

"You…" He could barely talk through his clenched teeth. "You cocksucker!"

" **Ah, so we're back to name calling?** " The demon smirked.

Ed flung his red cape back and dug his hand into the satchel at his belt. Quickly he grasped the rounded object inside, uncapped the fuse and flung it at the demon. The pale figure only had enough time to arch an eyebrow before the object exploded, bathing the creature in flames.

Although his vision was now obscured by smoke and dust, Ed still charged forward. He wasn't going to give this bastard a second's rest. Dust and smoke blocked his vision, yet Edward still knew where his opponent was. With enough force to slice through stone, he swung his mighty weapon down upon the burning demon's head.

Except there wasn't a head, or anything at all, for him to hit. Ed's blade cut through the empty air and buried itself in the ground.

"What…!" Ed pulled his sword from the ground when the air around him turned red. Suddenly a force that could only be described as superhuman slammed into his back. Edward was sent flying forward, but was able to recover and ended up landing on his knees. As he skidded to a halt Edward saw the pale man standing twenty feet to his right. His white robe showed no sign that the fire had touched it. In fact he looked completely unharmed.

" **Did you really think that parlor trick would work?** " The demon arched a white eyebrow. " **Disappointing."**

Edward snarled like an angry beast. Pulling two knives from his belt, Ed sent them spinning through the air towards the pale man. The demon casually raised his hand. Sparks of red energy shot from his fingertips and zapped the knives out of the air. The two blades exploded on impact.

Edward's opponent then turned toward him with a smirk. Ed ground his teeth before charging forward again. Despite his size and armor, Edward moved extraordinarily quickly. When he was within striking range Ed swung at the demon's neck, aiming to sever it. Once again, the pale man vanished, seeming to melt into the earth. The demon then emerged from the earth several meters away. Before Edward could attack again he saw the ground around him begin to shift.

Suddenly the earth shot up at him, forming itself into a giant fist of rock and soil. Edward brought his arms together to shield his chest. The impact dented the armor on his forearms and pushed him back several meters. Ed groaned to himself feeling the pain of the blow echo up and down his arms. No doubt the impact would have cracked several ribs if he hadn't blocked it.

'Dammit.' Ed thought. 'He'll blast any long range attack I do out of the air.' He glanced down at his sword. 'I can't really count on striking him either, he'll just teleport out of harm's way.'

Suddenly the demon raised his hand again. This time pointed towards Edward. Red sparks shot out like lightning bolts. Thinking fast Ed threw himself to the side as the wall behind him exploded. He hit the ground rolling, just barely avoiding a second bolt. Quickly jumping back on his feet, Ed ran towards the nearest ruin. He dove inside the ancient building just as another bolt of red lightning struck the side sending rubble and dust everywhere.

" **Hmm, it would appear that you are now the one fleeing from me. Rather ironic, isn't it Edward? The hunter has become the hunted.** " His accursed laughing echoed throughout the empty building.

'I'd give my other arm for him to shut up!' Edward ground his teeth. This was not going well for him at all. Glancing out of what used to be a window, he saw the demon standing casually in the clearing. The pale man now had the upper hand in this fight. He was simply waiting for Edward to make the next move.

'Damn him. Damn him to the lowest pit of hell!' Ed cursed. He glanced down at his sword that he'd somehow been able to keep a grip on. At first glance it would seem perfectly normal, but a closer look would reveal a light blue hue surrounding it.

" _This is old magic, I've never had to use it. Few magic users have ever used it. There is no guarantee that this enchantment will work against him, Edward."_

That is what Izumi Curtis told him when he'd gone to her for the spell. His sword had been given a special enchantment to fight the demon. One that would make the fucker bleed, and if he could bleed then he could be killed.

"I just need to get one chance. One good hit and it's all over." Edward muttered to himself. 'It'll finally be over.'

Suddenly the building around him exploded. Rubble and debris flew through the air as Edward was thrown to the ground. His armor took the brunt of the impact, but it still left the swordsman rattled.

" **Sorry if that caught you off guard. But I was growing rather tired of waiting for you.** "

Just as Edward started rising to his feet he was again knocked to the side by an unseen force. His already bruised body slammed into a fallen stone pillar. Blood filled Ed's mouth and he had to cough it up or risk choking. Suddenly the invisible hand once again grabbed a hold of him and lifted Edward into the air. In his disoriented state Ed allowed his sword to slip through his fingers.

" **My, you look quite ridiculous right now Edward.** " The pale man chuckled. " **What do you humans call those silly things at parties? Ah yes, a pinata.** "

The demon was about thirty feet away, looking up at him. With a flick of its fingers Edward was flung to the right. He crashed into a crumbled wall, completely shattering the weak structure. Ed grunted when he hit the ground. His ribs were screaming at him, and blood dripped down the side of his face from a fresh cut.

" **What do you do to pinatas again? Oh I remember, you hit them until they break.** "

The giant hands grabbed Edward's limp form and lifted him about six feet in the air. Ed remained suspended for a few moments before he was sent crashing to the ground in crumpled heap of armor and bruised limbs.

" **So tell me, Edward. How long until you break?** "

Edward opened his eyes and saw the demon was now standing only two feet away from him. That accursed smirk was still on his opponent's alabaster face.

"It's going to take a lot more than that." Edward growled defiantly, despite his vulnerable position.

" **No doubt it would.** " The demon bent down slightly, so that their faces were closer. " **You don't fear pain or death do you? No, physical pain is nothing to you.** "

While the demon was prattling on, Ed reached under his cloak. His hand closed around his small crossbow. It felt slightly bent, but was still workable. Knowing that an arrow was already loaded into it, Edward quickly pulled it out and fired at the demon.

Except he never got that far as the crossbow was blasted out of his hand by red lightning. The next bolt hit Edward on his back. An animalistic scream of pain left his throat. Despite the layer of armor he wore, he could still feel it's heat. It felt like fire burning his skin.

The demon blasted him again, the force of the hit knocking Edward onto his back. His cloak was tanged over his armored body. No doubt it was an embarrassing sight. "Fuck!" Ed hissed as he tried to push himself up. However it seemed that the demon's attacks had taken their tolls on his body. His arms gave out and the Fullmetal Warrior fell back on the ground.

" **Starting to feel tired, Edward.** " The demon taunted as he calmly made his way over to him. " **That little crossbow was a rather pathetic attack, but I do admire your spirit. You humans will fight until your last breath, clawing and biting until the bitter end. No matter how futile the situation is you never give up. I'm not sure whether to call that bravery or blind stupidity.** "

"I won't stop until there's nothing left of you!" Ed growled, rolling onto his stomach. This movement hid his left hand underneath the tangled cloak, allowing him to feel around on his belt. Eventually he found the sachet that carried his arrows.

 **"Strong words from a beaten man.** " The demon cackled. " **I truly can't tell if you're incredibly ignorant or simply delusional.** "

"I've often asked myself that as well." Edward coughed out a mouthful of blood and gave a weak grin. "Haven't come up with an answer yet."

The pale man's smile was small yet sinister. " **You poor human. You grin and act witty, yet you are nothing but an insect to me. It is almost incredible how easily I can destroy you. I could have killed you a dozen times over by now, but I haven't.** "

"Getting soft." Edward spat. Underneath his cloak Ed pulled four of his small arrows out of the satchel.

" **No.** " The demon chuckled. " **I once observed a human child with a mouse. The boy had the mouse trapped in a box. He would poke and prod it with a stick. He would stop tormenting the small creature for a few moments only to start again. He seemed to take great enjoyment in the mouse's pain. Perhaps I am the small child and you are the mouse.** "

"Are you going to poke me with a stick?" Edward said dryly. He subtly glanced down at the demon's exposed feet. His left hand placed three of the arrows on the ground underneath his cloak, but kept one firmly in grasp.

Any second now.

" **No, nothing so simple. As I said you don't fear physical pain.** " The demon's eyes flashed red. " **But psychological pain is another matter. I love the image that you project. The emotionless, and hardened warrior with nothing left to lose. But you do have something to lose, don't you Edward?** "

Edward paused and kept his left arm underneath his cloak. What was this creature talking about now?

The pale man's smile deepened. " **You tried your best to cut off all weak links to your past. But you kept Winry.** "

Edward's jaw dropped, his eyes widened. "How do…" The fearless swordsman was gone. Ed felt legitimate and deep seated fear blossoming inside of him. "What have you done to her, MONSTER!"

The demon chuckled. " **Nothing yet, but I've been considering paying her a visit for a few years now. Perhaps I'll-"**

Whatever threat the demon was going to make was silenced when Edward's left arm flew out from under him. Before the pale man could even blink, Ed stabbed the arrow deep into his left foot.

Getting his sword enchanted by Izumi wasn't the only preparation he had done in Dublin. Edward had also gotten his arrows blessed by a local priest and then bathed them in holy water. The arrowheads themselves were made out of former iron crucifixes. He'd been told by many persons over the years that the best way to kill a demon was either with magic or the power of God. He decided to use both of them.

The reaction was instantaneous. The demon's pale skinned burned on contact with the arrowhead. Black smoke rose from the wound and a foul stench filled the air as the skin began to slowly dissolve away.

" **Arrghh!** " The demon's eyes widened. In a flash Edward grabbed the three remaining arrows and lunged at the despicable creature in front of him, burying the arrows into its neck. The demon let out a twisted howl of agony. Red lightning shot out of his fingertips in random directions.

The pain on the pale man's face was only matched by his utter shock. Edward grinned darkly. The demon must have thought himself invincible, his arrogance was astounding. Ed had been counting on that. He'd been hoping that the demon's vanity would overwhelm its need for survival.

"You like that, monster!" He spat, twisting the arrows in the demon's neck until they snapped. The arrows heads remained embedded within the creature. The pale skin on its neck started to blacken and burn. More red lightning shot from the demon's hands, but he was in too much pain to properly aim. Pulling his right arm back, Edward slammed his fist into his opponent's face. His nose shattered on impact. There was no red blood that sprouted forward, but a strange black mist. It didn't matter what it was as the demon fell on its back.

Edward chuckled as he watched his hated enemy writhed and twisted on the ground. His damn irritating composure had finally broken. Now Ed could see the pale man for what it truly was. Despite the white cloak and calm demeanor, it was nothing more than a pagan demon. His face contorted in unnatural shapes as smoke continued to billow from the two deep wounds. The skin around them blistered and dissolved as the his unholy skin reacted to the blessed items.

"I have been waiting years for this moment." Ed grinned before walking over to grab his fallen sword. "I'm going to enjoy this."

The demon saw him coming and tried to raise his right hand to blast Edward. He was too late as Ed lunged forward. With a single slash of his sword the demon's hand was severed. More black mist sprouted from the new stump as the demon's screams only intensified. Edward raised the sword again before bringing it down on the demon's left arm.

A howl left the monster as his left arm was cut off at the shoulder. The pale limb fell to the earth and dissolved into mist within moments.

" **Curse you, Elric!** " The demon bellowed. His white shell was starting to crack and peel away. Soon midnight black skin and multiple red eyes started to become visible.

"Too late for that." Edward said before lifting his broadsword and then stabbing it down, impaling the demon through its chest area. This only set the creature into further spasms and howling.

"What? No more monologuing?" Edward taunted. "Aren't you going to say how I'm just a puny human?" He twisted the large blade within the demon. Black must sprung up from the wound.

" **AAAGHHH!"** The demon continued to contort until it moved into something resembling the fetal position. Several moments passed before its growling stopped and a low chuckle was heard.

Edward tensed at the sound. He readied himself for anything.

" **Go ahead.** " The demon spat. " **Kill me. Take your revenge. But it'll do you no good. You can't recover what is lost forever. You'll never see your brother again. At least that thought brings me joy.** "

Edward glared down at the demon, his posture tense and unmoving.

" **It's all your fault anyways. You summoned me. I may have killed your brother, but you are the one who got him killed. All because you got lonely and wanted to see your mommy again. Live with that, Edward Elric.** " Despite the pain, the demon started to chuckle as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world. " **You opened the door and I answered.** **Remember that! Go tell your precious Winry that you failed!** "

Edward saw red. How dare he say her name! Pulling the sword out of its midnight black body, Ed lifted the blade before swinging it back down onto the demon. The sword sliced through the creature's right shoulder, more black mist exploded from it. The demon resumed its writhing and screaming as Ed wrenched the sword out. With thundering fury, he swung it back down again.

And again…

…and again.

Until there truly was nothing left of the demon.

It was over.

 **OoO**

* * *

 **OoO**

 **The present day; the Rockbell farm:**

Edward watched as Winry knelt down and placed the blue flowers at the foot of the grave. He found himself admiring the way his lover moved. She lowered the bouquet in a gentle and caring way, as if the ground beneath was sacred. In a sort of way it was, for the two of them at least.

Carved into the grave was the name _Tricia Elric_.

When the two of them had awoken this morning he had been afraid that it would be uncomfortable. The previous night they had gone from friends to lovers. So far everything seemed fine. Yet Edward was worried that Winry might have second thoughts upon having a few hours to think about it.

It wasn't that he doubted her love. No, he doubted himself. Was he truly worthy of her affection? She could have had any young man, yet Winry had chosen him. Despite her repeated assurances and declarations from the previous night, and this morning, Ed still found himself second guessing everything.

"Edward?"

Her gentle voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Winry was looking at him with her arms crossed and a amused expression on her face. "Stop that."

"Stop what?" Edward frowned confused.

"Stop thinking negative thoughts, dummy. Your right eye always twitches when you're thinking negatively."

Edward cocked his head. "Am I really that easy to read?"

"Only to me." She chuckled, turning back to his mother's grave. "So stop worrying. I'm not going anywhere."

Edward found himself smiling bemused at her words. He really was an open book to her. Walking forward Ed came to a stop right next to his love. A sudden breeze blew past them causing Winry to shiver in her light dress. Edward wrapped an arm securely around her waist and pulled her against him. Winry smiled and leaned into his taller frame. For a few minutes the two of them enjoyed how their bodies seemed to fit together perfectly.

"We should head back to the house now, it's starting to get chilly out here." Ed offered eventually, noticing that the breeze was picking up.

"You sure?" Winry asked.

"Yeah. Don't want you to catch a cold." Ed said as he gazed at the grave. 'See you later Mom.'

The two of them started to make their way back towards the Rockbell homestead. Winry was leaning against Edward as they walked. Feeling her curves against him made Ed think back to when they had woken earlier in a tangle of limbs. That memory also caused a stirring in his lower body, particularly in a certain anatomy part.

"Hey Edward?"

Ed shook away his hormonal thoughts and turned towards her. "Yes, Win?"

Winry chewed her lower lip, which was far more enticing than it should have been. Ed was struck by how even the most simple of actions by her could entrance him.

"I was thinking...do you want to make a gravestone for Alphonse?" She asked with slight hesitation.

Edward's eyes widened, his body grew stiff.

His reaction made Winry nervous. "I was just thinking that maybe it could help-"

Whatever Winry was going to say was cut off as she was pulled into a tight yet warm hug by Edward. After a few moments he pulled back to look at her.

She seemed to be practically glowing in the morning sunlight. Her beautiful blonde locks was tied with a braid, exposing the pale skin of her neck. His eyes soon landed on the purple love bites that marked her throat. There were a few of them, signaling their love making from the previous night. Immediately Edward felt his desire start to rise again.

Edward suddenly pulled Winry against him, pressing his hard and aroused body against her softer one. "I want you." He murmured into her ear before nipping it. "I need you, now." Winry let out a gasp that turned into a moan as his mouth once again descended onto her neck.

"Edward…ah…we're…outside! Wait oh!"

Now his hands were active, his metal one gently massaging her breasts while his flesh hand traveled to the heat between her legs. It only took a few moments before any apprehension on Winry's part was gone. Before either of them knew it, they were both sprawled on the ground. Winry's dress was pulled up to her waist while Ed's trousers were pulled down.

"I swear to god, Edward." Winry moaned as she wrapped her leg tightly around his waist. "If someone sees us out hear I will kill you myself."

Edward grinned at the threat before leaning to down to kiss her deeply. His lover eagerly responded before they broke off for air. Seeing nothing but lust and love in Winry's eyes, Ed positioned himself before sliding home.

 **OoO**

* * *

 **OoO**

Later in the day Edward found himself sitting on the stoop leading up to the Rockbell front door. In the distance the sun was setting, casting a collage of red across the sky. Laying next to him on the lowest step was Den who had fallen asleep.

It had truly been a crazy last 24 hours for them. In that time Edward had returned home just in time to save Winry from bandits, carried a dead former friend and romantic rival back to town, after that he had broken down and confessed to Winry the reason for his return. Following that the unexpected happened, Winry didn't hate him. Instead Winry did what she always did, which was to fix him. In that moment he finally confessed his long buried feelings for her. Edward had never thought that she could possibly return his love, but she did. Primal instincts then took hold of them in a long night of passion and carnal pleasure.

The sex had been, to put it simple, amazing. Both last night and their quickie several hours earlier. He had fantasized about having her for years, but the real experience was beyond even his most creative dreams. Her warm muscles had gripped him perfectly. Her curvy body had been memorizing as she writhed in pleasure beneath him. Winry's moans put even the voices of angels to shame, so beautiful and erotic.

Edward had done his best to be gentle with her the previous night, it had been her first time after all. Unfortunately it had not been his first time. There had been other women throughout the years, no more than a handful. The years had been rough and lonely. There had been times when he'd needed the comfort of another human. None of them had meant anything to Edward, simply one night stands. It wasn't until two years earlier when Ed truly discovered that his feelings for Winry were no longer platonic. After that he no longer sought out other women, though he doubted Winry would ever love him back. Yet he could never bring himself to lay with another woman. It would have felt like he was betraying her, even though they were not together back then. Edward didn't plan on telling Winry about the other women, yet he hoped that one day he would. It might hurt Winry to hear that she wasn't his first. But he loved her and her only. She was the only thing in this world that mattered to him now. He'd make Winry knew that before he told her.

At the moment Winry was busy in the smithy. After returning from Tricia's grave, and the sudden love making in the middle of the road, the two of them had lunch before a messenger arrived. Apparently one of the noblemen from Resembool had somehow lost his sword during the storm and was requesting a new one. Ever the attentive blacksmith, Winry immediately got to work. She'd been at it for almost an hour. With nothing else to do for the time being, Edward decided to check on his own sword.

'But why?' Edward thought. The hand holding the grindstone paused. 'Who do I still need to fight?' He glanced around the surrounding landscape. Despite the storm and bandits from yesterday, the calm atmosphere had returned. 'There will be more bandits, and the occasional wild animal. But I doubt it will be any more then that. No more cultists, psychotic mass murderers, warlords, chimeras, or demons to kill.'

Edward lifted his heavy weapon and placed it carefully on the ground nearby. His flesh hand scratched his chin thoughtfully. "What am I to do with my time?" Ed muttered to himself almost jokingly. This woke Den up. The old dog lifted his head to look at Ed curiously.

"Well, do you have any ideas, boy?" Edward asked the canine dryly. "I've spent the last nine years of my life doing one thing, trying to survive. I-" A floorboard creaking suddenly echoed from inside. Ed paused as he listened to Winry enter the kitchen. Knowing that she could hear him, Edward continued to talk.

"I spent years sleeping under trees or in the rain. I bet you know what that's like, Den. Sometimes I would go days without any real food. At first I was terrified about a lot of thing. Starving, being killed by bandits, getting eaten by wild animals, shit like that. But then it got easier, I started to become numb to it all." Ed paused again as he heard Winry's movements in the kitchen stop. A part of Edward was kicking himself for being unable to properly talk to her. Instead here he was, talking to Den while Winry listened in on them. Hopefully in time, it would be easier for him to be more open.

"Somewhere along the line I stopped being afraid of death. It just didn't frighten me anymore. I also stopped being afraid of killing people." Edward became tense as hundreds of faces suddenly appeared before him. He recognized every single one of them. "The first one was some cut throat who tried to rob me while I slept. I didn't want to kill him, but it was either him or me. After that it just started getting easier. The justification for every kill was that I was doing it for a right cause." He let out a humorless chuckle. "I told myself that killing these people was necessary because I had to get Alphonse back. They were in my way and it had to be done. Well, that didn't really work out in the end." That last sentence was muttered bitterly. "But…I suppose that I was able to help some people along the way. At least I did some good, for what it was worth."

Floorboards creaked as Winry walked closer, now she was practically behind him with only a wooden door separating them. Den continued to stare up at Ed, his head cocked slightly to the side. Edward reached down and scratched behind the dog's left ear.

"I don't know what I'm trying to get across. Hell, there's a lot of things that I don't know." Edward glanced at the broadsword lying within arm's reach. "I don't know when I'll have to use this sword again. I don't know what I'm going to do now that I'm back home. I…" Ed paused as he heard the front door being slowly opened. "I had a purpose, a quest. But now all of that is over. And I don't know what to do."

Edward went quiet, his words hanging in the air. He didn't have to turn around to know that Winry was standing in the now open doorway. For long seconds he waited for her to do something whether it be yell at him or call him stupid. But Winry said not a word as she closed the door before stepping down next to Ed, Den quickly moving. The blonde blacksmith sat down to Edward's left side. Neither of them moved or said a word until she placed a small hand on his remaining flesh one. This prompted Edward to turn and gaze at his lover. Winry offered him a small, but captivating smile before resting her head on his shoulder. Ed quickly moved to accommodate her weight, wrapping his arm around her slim waist. Their hands entwined as they leaned against each other. Like two pillars seeking support.

Edward stared at her face, enraptured by how the setting sun illuminated her features. At that moment nothing else mattered but her. His sword, the one constant traveling companion of his life lay mere feet away. But Edward would give it up without a second thought for her. She was the light at the end of every storm. His anchor. His love. He had made Winry wait for years, now he'd spend the rest of his making it up to her. He would cherish her and love her until their final days.

Finally she spoke.

"We'll figure it out, together. Whatever happens, we'll always have each other. Right?"

Her optimistic tone aroused genuine hope within him.

"Of course." Edward replied. And he meant it.

 **The End.**

 **OoO**

* * *

 **OoO**

 **It was nice to finally use Father in a story. I wrote the first chapter for this story** **almost two years ago. I had forgotten about it until recently and decided to finish it. I'm pretty happy with how it came out.**

 **Thank you for all those who reviewed and enjoyed this story. Some of you might be** **wondering when Kingdom will be updated, I'll do my best to upload the next chapter within a few weeks.**

 **Mediafan out.**


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